The phone call in early October, from the president himself, found Frank Bisignano in his Tribeca office, gazing over the Lower East Side towards his Brooklyn roots. The newly confirmed Social Security Commissioner learned he would also take the helm of the Internal Revenue Service, becoming its first CEO. This dual appointment places Bisignano in a position of authority over two of the U.S. government’s most critical back-office operations, managing both the world’s largest retirement system, distributing $1.5 trillion annually, and a revenue engine collecting over $5 trillion each year, funding more than 90% of federal operations. His mandate, as relayed by the president, was to “make the IRS great again,” echoing a similar charge for Social Security.
Bisignano brings a distinct private-sector approach to these traditionally bureaucratic agencies. Unlike many of his predecessors, his career has been marked by turning around complex, tech-heavy enterprises. A protégé of Jamie Dimon, Bisignano previously led Fiserv, a major credit card payments processor, and held significant operational roles at JPMorgan and Citigroup. His tenure at JPMorgan included co-COO responsibilities and overseeing the mortgage workout program that resulted in a $26 billion federal settlement in 2012. This background in streamlining operations and leveraging technology is now being applied to agencies with combined operating budgets exceeding $30 billion and a workforce of approximately 150,000, both known for challenges in efficiency and customer service.
One of the immediate tests for Bisignano is the upcoming tax season, which is projected to be unprecedented in its scale of refunds and complexity. The administration anticipates a “gigantic refund year,” with estimates suggesting an average wage earner could receive an additional $1,000, and the IRS potentially returning $150 billion more than in the previous year. This increase is attributed to the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which introduced several new tax benefits, including deductions for tips and overtime, interest write-offs for new U.S.-assembled car loans, and increased deductions for seniors and state and local taxes. Additionally, the standard deduction has risen, and the child tax credit expanded. The timing of these changes, applying to all of 2025 despite the bill’s July 4 signing, means many Americans have been over-withholding, setting the stage for substantial refunds.
Bisignano emphasizes that technology, rather than merely increasing personnel, is the key to improving customer service and collection efficiency at both the IRS and SSA. He points to his “digital-first approach” and the deployment of rigorous key performance indicators (KPIs) for managers, mirroring strategies he employed in the private sector. This focus on technological solutions aligns with his belief that “technology guides you to best deploy your people,” suggesting that advancements in IT, particularly with artificial intelligence, will drive significant improvements in the coming years. This contrasts with previous proposals to hire a large number of new agents, a strategy Bisignano suggests did not materialize under the current administration.
His impact at the Social Security Administration, where he served solely before the IRS appointment, offers a preview of his methods. During his relatively short time there, phone wait times for the national 800 number dramatically decreased, from an average of 20 minutes to an all-time low of seven minutes in September. The agency also saw a significant increase in calls handled, processing 68 million callers in fiscal year 2025, a 67% increase from the prior year. Furthermore, the time to process disability claims was reduced from 240 to 209 days, cutting the backlog by over 300,000 cases. These improvements, initially met with skepticism by some legislators, were later validated by an Office of the Inspector General report.
Bisignano’s career has been defined by navigating and resolving complex operational challenges. From managing 16,000 workers at Citigroup during 9/11 and ensuring the bank’s systems remained operational, to transforming a loss-making Global Transactions Services unit into a profitable enterprise, his history suggests a capacity for large-scale restructuring. He also played a critical role in integrating Bear Stearns into JPMorgan and repairing the foreclosure-laden mortgage portfolio of Washington Mutual following the Global Financial Crisis, all while battling throat cancer. These experiences underscore his resilience and capacity to manage multiple, high-stakes initiatives simultaneously, a trait he attributes to viewing his responsibilities as interconnected rather than separate jobs.
Now, with the tax season looming, Bisignano is “maniacally focused on delivering a great season,” with the timeliness of refunds being a crucial metric. Following this period, he intends to implement a “nine-prong plan” to reengineer the IRS by 2027. His predecessors, a group of seven former commissioners and acting commissioners who maintained a chat group, reportedly expressed confidence in his appointment, acknowledging his unique qualifications to tackle the long-standing issues within the agency. This consensus from those who intimately understand the IRS’s challenges suggests that a significant shift in its operational trajectory may be underway.
