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Mayor Solomon Appoints Bill Viqueira as Finance Director
Veteran Public Finance Executive Brings Over 30 Years of Experience to Lead City’s Fiscal Operations
JERSEY CITY, NJ – Mayor James Solomon today announced the appointment of William “Bill” Viqueira as Finance Director for the City of Jersey City. Viqueira, a Hudson County native and Jersey City resident, brings more than three decades of executive financial experience spanning both the public and private sectors, including serving as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of NJ Transit.
“We ran on a promise to deliver a Jersey City government as good as its people and be honest with Jersey City residents about our fiscal challenges,” said Mayor James Solomon. “Bill Viqueira has the experience and the expertise to help us do exactly that. He’s managed billion-dollar budgets, reorganized departments, and knows what it takes to bring transparency and accountability to public finances. And as someone who grew up in Union City and lives in Jersey City, he understands what’s at stake for working families in Hudson County.”
Viqueira currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Gateway Development Commission, the entity responsible for delivering the Hudson Tunnel Project. As CFO and Treasurer of NJ Transit, the nation’s third-largest public transportation agency, he oversaw $5 billion in operating and capital budgets and more than 500 staff members across finance and information technology departments. He initiated and led comprehensive reorganizations of the Finance, IT, and Human Resources departments during his tenure.
Prior to his public sector service, Viqueira had a distinguished career in corporate finance, beginning as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch before joining Lucent Technologies as Treasurer and head of Mergers & Acquisitions. He has served as Chief Financial Officer at both venture-backed and NYSE-listed companies and held senior treasury and M&A roles at Monster Worldwide.
“I’m honored to return to public service in the city I call home,” said Bill Viqueira. “Jersey City faces real fiscal challenges, and the residents deserve straight talk and sound management. I look forward to working with Mayor Solomon and his team to build a finance operation that serves the people of Jersey City with integrity and excellence.”
Viqueira holds board certifications from the Latino Corporate Directors Association and IBDC.D from the Pfister Strategy Group. He served on the State of New Jersey’s COVID-19 Compliance and Oversight Task Force established by Executive Order 166 and has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.
A second-generation Cuban American, Viqueira grew up in Union City, New Jersey, and received his B.A. and M.A. in Economics from The Johns Hopkins University. He lives in Jersey City with his wife and has four daughters.
The appointment is part of Mayor Solomon’s commitment to assembling a leadership team capable of addressing the city’s inherited fiscal challenges while delivering effective services to residents. In his inaugural address, Mayor Solomon emphasized the need for transparency about the city’s finances and pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of the budget.
Viqueira will begin his role immediately and will be responsible for overseeing all financial operations across city departments, including budgeting, accounting, treasury management, debt management, risk management, purchasing, auditing, and revenue collection.