Argentina’s leading public bank Banco Nación has announced Darío Wasserman as its new president, replacing the recently resigned Daniel Tillard.
Wasserman has been the bank’s vice-president since the start of President Javier Milei’s government in December 2023. His entry into the public sector came after several years of activity as a real-estate developer.
The new head is closely linked to Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei and Economy Minister Luis Caputo, both of whom had pushed his candidacy to head Banco Nación at the start of the libertarian administration.
However, President Milei eventually settled on the appointment of Tillard, linked to then-interior minister and later cabinet chief Guillermo Francos.
Wasserman is the husband of Buenos Aires City lawmaker Pilar Ramírez, a member of La Libertad Avanza (LLA) who forms part of the inner circle of the presidential chief-of-staff.
Tillard, who had taken over the helm of Banco Nación on December 26, 2023, formally resigned on Tuesday morning.
The decision forms part of a new stage of restructuring in the Milei government, including adjustments in areas considered strategic, said the Casa Rosada.
In a communiqué, the Economy Ministry emphasised that under Tillard, “the bank returned to working as a bank,” highlighting as his main achievements granting 20,000 mortgages and increasing market share from 12 to 18 points, among other successes.
Tillard said in a statement that his team “has fulfilled its mission of the institution fully performing its role as a bank in a context favoured by the policies driven by our government of fiscal solvency and ordered Central Bank accounts."
Tillard further thanked President Milei and Economy Minister Luis Caputo for "the confidence deposited and for having given him the opportunity to accompany them in the process of transforming our country."
His resignation from Banco Nación came on the same day as that of Juan Pazo from the helm of ARCA (Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero) revenue agency. This obliged the Economy Ministry to issue a midnight press communiqué with the news, announcing DGI tax authority chief Andrés Vázquez as his replacement.
On Wednesday, the government announced that President Milei had named accountant Mariano Mengochea as the new head of DGI.
Mengochea is a close associate of Vázquez, with whom he has worked for years in various tax agencies. His most notable previous position was his work in the Southern Regional Office of AFIP during the Kirchner administrations.
– TIMES/NA
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