Directorate Change

Banco Santander Central Hispano SA
26 March 2007




                                 MATERIAL FACT





The Board of Directors of Santnder has agreed to name Ms. Isabel Tocino
Biscarolasaga as a Director, to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Jay
Sidhu on December 31, 2006. Isabel Tocino will be non executive independent
director.


The nomination of Ms. Isabel Tocino will be submitted for ratification to the
next Shareholders' Meeting, which is expected to be held in Santander on June
23, 2007.


Ms. Isabel Tocino has until now been a member of the Board of Directors of
Banif, the private banking subsidiary of Grupo Santander in Spain. She will
leave that position as a result of this nomination.



                                   Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), 26th March 2007.








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