New head of Social Security, hired from Wall Street, tells staff he had to Google the job when he was offered it

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

May 22, 2025, 2:26 PM


The newly sworn-in head of the Social Security Administration told agency staff this week that when he was first offered the job in the Trump administration, he wasn't familiar with the position and had to look it up online. Frank Bisignano, a former Wall Street executive, said during a town hall with Social Security managers from around the country on Wednesday that he wasn't seeking a position in the Trump administration when he received a call about leading the SSA.

"So, I get a phone call and it's about Social Security. And I'm really, I'm really not, I swear I'm not looking for a job," Bisignano said, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by ABC News. "And I'm like, 'Well, what am I going to do?' So, I'm Googling Social Security. You know, one of my great skills, I'm one of the great Googlers on the East Coast."

"I'm like, 'What the heck's the commissioner of Social Security?'" said Bisignano, who now oversees one of the largest federal agencies that's responsible for distributing retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to more than 70 million Americans. "Put that as the headline for the Post: 'Great Googler in Chief. Chief in Googler' or whatever," said Bisignano, who throughout the meeting repeatedly bemoaned media leaks from within the agency.

While Bisignano, who previously served as chairman and CEO of financial technology company Fiserv Inc., brings experience managing large organizations and overseeing complex payment systems to his new role, he has no prior history working in government or with the Social Security system.


Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-head-social-security-hired-wall-street-tells/story?id=122075152

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[Deuxcents]

1. Why couldn't he do the decent thing and not accept?

[Bengus81]

2. Because his Fuhrer wanted him to take that job.

[Deuxcents]

3. He obviously didn't want the job and felt unqualified so he googled it. No one says "no" or no thank you, do they?

[Skittles]

6. gee, let's GUE$$

what could it be?

[Scrivener7]

13. No. That's really not it. The guy makes truckloads of money at Fiserv. He's losing money on this gig.

Based on his tenure at Fiserv, I actually suspect he's competent, and for that reason I'm surprised he was appointed.

But what remains to be seen is if he's a true believer in the alternate universe of maga, or if he just sees making SS better as a feather in his cap. If it's the latter, he's actually capable of it, and good for him and for us. If it's the former, he could do a lot of damage and we're all in trouble.

[Skittles]

14. it is always about money

they want to privatize SS

[FakeNoose]

4. I think this has to be BS ... nobody is really that stupid, am I right?

[BumRushDaShow]

8. There is a whole "school of thought" in the business world

where a "manager" does nothing more than "manages" (people/processes), and the type of product or service being "managed" is irrelevant. I.e., they delegate that part down to the supervisory levels below.

I.e., they don't need to know what it is they are managing as long as the widgets keep coming. IOW, they are "managing" their supervisors (or for someone in his position, the "Deputies/Assistants", etc., who are supposed to have some knowledge).

[cabotnn22]

5. oy vey

unbelievable..just surreal.

[Skittles]

7. heh

I'll never forget the first time I heard 'oy vey' - a coworker smacking his forehead and hollering OY VEY regarding a thorny situation we had going on.

[mdbl]

9. I am sure they were all comforted by that statement.

[Ollie Garkie]

10. Uh yeah...

These Wall Street and corporate fucks can just takeover whatever slot but DEI is the problem. Oooookkkkkkkkaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy then.

[rickford66]

11. So, what awful thing did he do in his past?

That's the requirement.

[Puppyjive]

12. It takes years to learn the job

Working for social security was a very stressful job. It is extremely complicated and takes years to become efficient. I don't think anyone who works there had much prior knowledge of the job. Great benefits, great pay, but you also got high anxiety from from a workload that was impossible.