Social Security Taps Matt Zames as Unpaid Tech Adviser for 70 Million Beneficiaries
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 24
Social Security Taps Matt Zames as Unpaid Tech Adviser for 70 Million Beneficiaries
2 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Aug 24
Summary
Matt Zames, former JPMorgan COO, will start immediately at SSA headquarters in Baltimore as an unpaid special government employee advising Commissioner Frank Bisignano on technology modernization and operations.
The move is aimed at overhauling decades-old systems that support more than 70 million beneficiaries and roughly 75 million monthly payments, with officials seeking fewer processing errors, shorter waits and stronger online services.
Zames' role is generally capped at 130 days under federal rules, though it could run longer because he is not expected to work full time; benefits and eligibility are unchanged for now.
The appointment lands as SSA pursues workforce cuts and tech upgrades under the Trump administration, while the program's retirement trust fund is still projected to run dry within about a decade without congressional action.
Some experts said Zames' restructuring and technology background fits SSA's operational problems, but critics argued Wall Street experience will not solve Social Security's underlying financing gap.