Directors

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Alcides Avila, Esq.
Chairman, President and CEO

Alcides I. Avila is a founding partner of Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Garro LLP (AVILA) and an attorney in its Corporate and Financial Services practice. Prior to the formation of AVILA in 2007, Mr. Avila was a partner in the Miami office of an AmLaw 20 national law firm and was the practice group leader of that firm’s Financial Services Practice Group. Mr. Avila represents domestic and foreign clients in all aspects of bank regulatory, lending, mergers and acquisitions and other transactional matters. With over 35 years of experience, he regularly represents clients before the Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and other regulatory agencies. Mr. Avila has represented numerous foreign financial institutions and investors in establishing and expanding banking operations in the United States. In addition to his banking practice, he has extensive experience in domestic and international business transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions and financing. Mr. Avila has also served as independent counsel to the Board of Directors of various banks in connection with compliance and enforcement actions. He serves as Chairman, President and Director of the Cuban Banking Study Group.

Carlos R. Fernández-Guzmán
Chair Elect Director
Carlos R. Fernández-Guzmán serves as a member of the board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific National Bank (PNB). A well-respected banking veteran and community leader, Fernández-Guzmán has close to 40 years private sector and banking industry experience. Prior to joining PNB, he was the Senior Executive Vice President - Neighborhood Banking Group at BankUnited. He has held executive management positions and worked with turnaround teams at banks and other enterprises including Riverdale Farms, XTec, CTI, American Savings of Florida, F.S.B., Consolidated Bank, N.A., and Southeast Bank, N.A. where he began his banking career. Fernández-Guzmán served as Chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (2008-2009), has co-chaired FIU’s Master of Science in Finance Advisory Board, and chaired multiple community Boards and key committees including the boards of UnitedHome Care Services, Miami Capital Development and Miami Citywide Development. He is Past Chair of Chapman Partnership and currently serves on the Executive Committee, and recently concluded his term as an appointee of the Honorable Governor Rick Scott in the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority where he served as Treasurer, Executive Committee Member and Member of the Board of Directors. He is a recipient of the Ronald McDonald House Charities “Twelve Good Men” Award, the Chapman Partnership Alvah Chapman Humanitarian Award, the UHCS Thelma Gibson Claude Pepper Humanitarian Award and the Leadership Miami Salute to Miami’s Leaders Award in Finance. Mr. Fernández-Guzmán was inducted to the Miami Dade College Hall of Fame and serves on MDC's Foundation Board as Vice Chair and Chair of their Governance and Nominating Committees, he is a founding member of the U.S. Secret Service Secure Document Alliance, and a member of the Greater Miami Chamber’s President’s Club Hall of Fame.
Fernando A. Capablanca
Chairman Emeritus & Director
Fernando A. Capablanca is a long-time leader in the banking industry and is currently Managing Director of Whitecap Consulting Group LLC in Coral Gables, created in 2010 to provide consulting services to the financial industry. He is also Chairman Emeritus and founding member of the Cuban Banking Study Group Inc., created in 1992 to study the Cuban banking and financial system. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of City National Bank in Miami. Mr. Capablanca began his banking career at the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York in 1964 and has served as CEO and General Manager of Miami Agency offices of The Bank of Tokyo Ltd., Banco Exterior de los Andes y España (Spain) and Banco de Credito Inversiones (Chile). He was also president and CEO of Union Credit Bank. Between 2013 and 2016 he served on the Board of Directors of Ocean Bank in Miami. Until 2016, Mr. Capablanca was Vice Chairman of the Bankers Advisory Board of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) in Washington DC, a position to which he was appointed in 1992 by the Comptroller of the State of Florida. He is a former Chairman of the Florida International Bankers Association and currently serves on its Board of Directors. He has written several articles for professional magazines and authored “Small Business Investment Companies” currently at the Library of Congress. He graduated from New York University and from the Harvard Graduate School of Business and served as President of the Harvard Business School Club of South Florida.
José R. Garrigó
Vice Chairman Emeritus, Treasurer & Director

José R. Garrigó is part of a family with over six decades of banking history in Cuba and the United States. Mr. Garrigó has over 40 years of experience in the banking and financial industries. He was Principal at J.R. Garrigo & Associates, a firm consulting companies needing to improve their financial operations and cash flow. Mr. Garrigó previously served in executive positions including The Bank of Miami as Executive Vice President, Senior Lending Officer and Board member. He was President, CEO and Board member of Pan American Bank of Miami. After NationBank’s (now Bank of America) acquisition of Pan American Bank he was named Senior Vice President and Corporate Lending Team Leader. He served as Senior Vice President and Regional Executive at Southeast Bank and Senior Vice President at Citibank, N.A. He followed as Senior Vice President and Senior Lending Officer at Espirito Santo Bank of Florida. Mr. Garrigó graduated from Villanueva University, Havana, Cuba, affiliated with Vilanova University of Pennsylvania, as Bachelor in Business Administration. He graduated from The Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University, NJ. He attended courses and is a Certified Commercial Lender from the American Bankers Association. A South Florida resident since 1960, Mr. Garrigó is a founding member and presently Vice Chairman Emeritus, Treasurer and Director of Cuban Banking Study Group, created in 1992 to study and make recommendations for the future of the Cuban banking and financial system.  He was decorated by the French Republic as Chevalier, Ordre de Merite Agricole. He served in various business and civic organization boards, including Eastern Airlines Latin American Advisory Board; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors; WPBT-2 Public Television Board of Directors and member of the Audit Committee; Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Science Committee; Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council; Coral Gables Cultural Development Board; Coral Gables Landscape Advisory Board; IWFS Americas Foundation Board. 

Adolfo Henriques
Immediate Past Chair & Director

Adolfo Henriques is Vice Chairman of The Related Group. Before joining Related he was Chairman of the Board of Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust. Prior to these positions, he served as Chairman, President and CEO of Florida East Coast Industries; and before that as CEO of the South Region for Regions Bank (and its predecessor Union Planters Bank) until 2006. Before Regions Bank, Mr. Henriques served in executive capacities at Bank of America's predecessor banks since 1986. These positions included Chairman of NationsBank in South Florida and EVP of Barnett Bank. He was also with The Bank of Nova Scotia and began his career as a Certified Public Accountant with the Public Health Trust and Ryder Systems in Miami, FL. Active in numerous civic organizations, Mr. Henriques is the immediate past Chairman of the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council, Chairman of the Superintendent's Business Advisory Council and serves on the Orange Bowl Committee. Mr. Henriques serves on the boards of Heico Corporation and Incomex, Inc. In the past, he has served as Chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Regional Chair of the Southeast Region for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of Leadership Florida, Chairman of Florida International University, Chairman of the Financial Oversight Board for the City of Miami, Chairman of the United Way of Miami-Dade, Chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the Beacon Council. Mr. Henriques also has served as Co-Chairman of the Miami Children's Museum Capital Campaign, Chairman of Homes for South Florida and Greater Miami LISC, Chairman of the Epiphany School Advisory Council, Site Selection Chairman of the Community Partnership for the Homeless, Member of the Florida Board of Regents and served on the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force for the airport. Mr. Henriques is a recipient of the Dean Lott Spirit of Leadership Award and the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. He earned a master's degree in accounting from Florida International University and his bachelor's degree in business from St. Leo College.

María Grisel Vega
Assistant Treasurer & Director
María Grisel (Grisel) Vega is the General Manager of Banco de Crédito e Inversiones (Bci), Miami Branch, the first international office of Bci, since 2006. As General Manager of Bci Miami, Grisel oversees all aspects of the office with over USD 4 Bln in assets which includes a Treasury business as well as Corporate Banking, Wealth Management, and Private Banking aereas serving customers from Latam, primarily from Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico. She was previously the First Vice President and Controller since the opening of the Branch in 1999. She began her professional career in 1983 in the audit division of Arthur Andersen, LLP covering a wide range of industries including banking. In 1987 she joined Southeast Bank, where she began her banking career in the Financial Reporting Division. After two years she joined a "start-up" international bank agency, Banco Exterior de Los Andes y de España (Extebandes) as Controller. in 1998, Standard Chartered Bank purchased Extebandes and Grisel was named General Manager of the Extebandes Agency throughout the merger with Standard Chartered. Subsequently, she was named Regional Financial Manager and Y2K Project leader of Banco Standard Chartered, responsible for the integration and consodidation of Banco Standard Chartered with Standard Chartered Bank. Grisel holds a BA degree from the University of Miami and maintains a current Florida CPA license. She is a member of the AICPA and FICPA and a graduate of the Senior Executive Program of the IESE Business School, Unisrsity of Navarra, Spain. In addition to her position at the Branch, she is currently a Director of City National Bank of Florida; Bci Financial Holdings Group, Inc.; Bci Securities, Inc.; Florida International Bankers Association (FIBA) of which she was Chair in 2012; serves as Assistant Treasurer of Cuban Banking Study Group (CBSG) and Treasurer of the Bishop Enrique San Pedro, SJ Foundation, Inc. She is married and has two adult children. Grisel enjoys leisure time with her extended family, reading, and crafts. She has received various awards and is most proud of being recognized by Bci with "Las Diez Claves del Exito" and "Actua Como Dueño," presented to her in 2009 and 2014, repectively.
Juan del Busto
Vice President & Director

Juan del Busto is the former regional executive of the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and current chairman and CEO of Del Busto Capital Partners, Inc. As regional executive he was responsible for the Branch’s operations, Board of Directors, provided regional input into the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank’s monetary policy process, led community outreach and development activities, and oversaw Miami’s economic and financial education programs. Mr. Del Busto joined the Board of Directors of Ocean Bank in 2013. His is also a member of the Advisory Board of Easy Solutions, a Total Fraud Protection Company, and a Strategic Advisor for the accounting firm of MBAF. Long active in the community, Mr. Del Busto is a trustee for United Way of Dade County. A staunch believer that a highly educated workforce will improve the nation’s economy, he serves on the board of directors of the Florida Council of Economic Education, the Center for Financial Training, the Florida International University President’s Council and the Miami-Dade College Business School Advisory Committee, and is Vice Chairman of the Superintendent’s Business Advisory committee for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, The Audit & Budget Committee, and the 21st Century School Board Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Florida Bankers Association, the Hispanic American Bankers Association, the Florida International University Alumni Association, the American Numismatic Association, the NFL Alumni Association, the Ohio State University Alumni Association and the South Florida Touchdown Club Foundation. Born in Havana, Cuba, del Busto moved to Miami in 1960 with his parents. He graduated from Miami Dade College and received his Bachelor’s of Science degree from the Engineering school at Florida International University. He also graduated from the executive development program at The Ohio State University.

Jose E. Cueto
Director

Jose E. Cueto is the President & Chief Operating Officer of Grove Bank & Trust since July 2023  after having served as President & Chief Executive Officer of International Finance Bank since 2015. From 2012-2015 Mr. Cueto served as the Head of Corporate Banking at FirstBank, Puerto Rico. From 2001-2012 Mr. Cueto worked for Caja Madrid where he opened its Miami International Banking Agency and eventually grew it to more than $3 billion in assets and held various positions in the Organization including Deputy General Manager & Chief Financial Officer and later Head of Corporate Banking, Capital Markets and Project Finance. He was a member of the City National Bank acquisition team and later served as a Director. Mr. Cueto began his banking career 31 years ago at Republic National Bank of Miami and later worked for First Union, Capital Bank, Banco Real, and Bank Leumi. Recognized for his contributions, Cueto received the South Florida Business Journal’s “Lender of the Year” award in 2013, the US-Spain Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Ponce de Leon Excellence Award, the Florida Bankers Association 2016 Horizon Award, and the South Florida Council Boy Scouts of America Hispanic Heritage Award in 2018.  In 2019, he was recognized as one of the Power Leaders in Banking by the South Florida Business Journal and was featured as The Achiever in Miami Today. He was also recently featured on the cover of Florida Banking Magazine. Engaged in activities outside of the bank, Cueto presently serves on the Orange Bowl Committee as a Board Member and is President-Elect of the South Florida Banking Institute.  He is also President-Elect of the Center for Financial Training and a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Bankers Association (FBA).  Cueto also serves on the FBA BankPac Board of Directors and as a Board Member for SebastianStrong Foundation. Jose E. Cueto was born in Coral Gables, Florida and attended Belen Jesuit Preparatory High School. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Florida International University.

 

 

Calixto (Cali) García-Velez
Director
Calixto (Cali) García-Velez is President and CEO of Banesco USA.  Prior to that he was Executive Vice President of First BanCorp and Regional Executive of FirstBank Florida, a subsidiary of First BanCorp (NYSE: FBP).  He oversaw the management and operations for FirstBank Florida including Personal and Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking and Residential Mortgage. Prior to joining FirstBank, Mr. Garcia-Velez was President and CEO of Doral Bank, in San Juan Puerto Rico. During his time at Doral Bank, he successfully repositioned the Bank from a mortgage bank model to a multi-product line community bank while raising $625 MM in capital and remediation of multiple regulatory enforcement orders. Mr. Garcia-Velez began his banking career at the former First Union National Bank, followed by a very successful career with Citibank, where he served as President of Citibank Florida.  In 2002, he was named Business Manager, Citibank North America - South Division, where he was responsible for Florida, Texas, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Puerto Rico.  He then accepted a position in San Francisco as Business Manager, Citibank North America - West Division, where he was responsible for the Bank in California and Nevada. Mr. Garcia-Velez currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Miami-Dade, The Beacon Council, the Alliance for South Florida National Parks Trust, and was recently named to the Florida Bankers Association Board of Directors.  He also serves as a Guardian ad Litem volunteer. In the past, he served as Chairman of the Beacon Council in 2004, Chairman of the Alliance for Human Services and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of the University of Miami, where he received both his bachelor’s and MBA. Mr. Garcia-Velez is a Miami native where he lives with his wife Carmen and three children.  
Abel L. Iglesias
Director
President and CEO if IFB Bank in Miami. Prior to joining IFB in early 2024, Abel served as Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida's Miami-Dade Regional President (after they acquired Professional Bank where he was President and CEO) and has over 35 years of banking experience in the South Florida market, most recently as President and CEO of JGB Bank, N.A. Prior to his post at JGB, Mr. Iglesias was the Senior Executive Vice President of BankUnited FSB where he oversaw the commercial, corporate, commercial real estate, small business banking areas and Treasury Management. He was directly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Commercial Banking Division and its lending groups for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. From 1997 through 2003 he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer for the South Florida region of Colonial Bank. Mr. Iglesias also worked for Eastern National Bank and The Bank of Miami, where he began his banking career in 1980. He is a member of the Operating Board for Doctor's Hospital, Coral Gables, which is part of Baptist Health Systems. He is a past-Chair of the Board of Directors for Miami-Dade College's Center for Financial Training. He is also a past-Chair of the Board of Directors of Friends of WLRN 91.3 FM (NPR), a formar board member of the Latin Builders Association and former board member for the City of Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board. Mr. Iglesias holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami and a Bachelor's Degree, magna cum laude, in Business Administration from Barry University, Miami, FL
Marcos A. Kerbel, MBA, CPA, CFP, CPAML
Director and Secretary
Marcos A. Kerbel is a distinguished international banker, CPA, CFP, university professor, consultant and community leader. Mr. Kerbel earned a BBA degree in Accounting and a MBA in International Banking from Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. Upon graduation, he began his banking career in 1969 with Pan American Bank, Miami (now Bank of America) where he rose from management trainee to Senior Vice President and Deputy Manager of its International Division. In 1978, Marcos joined Israel Discount Bank Ltd. to head its then newly licensed International Banking Office in Miami, having been the first license issued by the State of Florida. He remained with the bank for 22 years as Senior Vice President and Manager. A founding treasurer in 1979 and past chair of the board of directors of the Florida International Bankers Association (FIBA) in 1987-1988, Mr. Kerbel has chaired many of the organization's committees. Since 2007, he has chaired the Education and Training Committee and was named Dean of the FIBA Institute for Financial Education, A Global Center of Excellence (FIFE). The Committee also oversees the AMLCA and CPAML Anti-Money Laundering Certifications and other educational programs in partnership with Florida International University (FIU). In 2004, he co-authored "Leading the Way - A Comprehensive History of International Banking in Florida" as well as a complementary video. The book's second edition was published in May, 2015. In 1988, Florida Governor Robert Martínez appointed Marcos to the International Banking Trade Study Commission which, inter alias, created the Florida Export Finance Corporation. In 1982, he was honored with the Gold Medallion from the City of Miami Beach for exceptional international leadership. In 2011, he was confirmed by the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners as a member of its Antonio Jorge Social and Economic Development Council (SEDC) and has been a member of MOV'N Committee of the County and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce dealing with traffic and transportation issues. He is also a trustee of the Operation Pedro Pan Group (OPPG). A well-known educator since 1973, Marcos has been teaching finance and global banking courses at Florida International University in Miami since 1980, where he has been awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by both the university faculty and student organizations. Throughout the years he has taught hundreds of Cuban students in Miami and in these courses the financial and banking system of Cuba is discussed. In 2016 he taught a group of "cuentapropistas" from Cuba. He has also taught at Barry University and Miami-Dade College and its Center for Financial Training. Currently he teaches at UNIBE in the Dominican Republic and the Center of Monetary and Banking Studies (CEMB) at University Thomas More in Managua, Nicaragua. Mr. Kerbel has participated as a speaker in hemispheric conferences and is interviewed by the media on economic, banking, finance and community related topics locally and in several countries.In May 2020 he accepted the invitation to become a member of CasaCuba Scholarly Advisory Council.
Manuel Lasaga, Ph.D.
Director
Manuel Lasaga is President of Strategic Information Analysis, Inc., (StratInfo) an economics and finance consulting firm established in 1993 in Miami, Florida. As a Business Economist he has more than 30 years of experience advising entrepreneurs, multinational corporations, financial institutions, government agencies and professional services firms. He has nationally-recognized capability for independent analysis of the Florida, U.S., and Latin American economies and financial markets. Lasaga is an advisor to banks in the areas of strategic planning and Asset / Liability management, helping banks optimize their risk-adjusted returns. Ha has developed a methodology to assist banks in determining the quality of their loan portfolio. He has assisted De-Novo banks through the organizational and approval process and during their initial operating period. He also has experience in management evaluations to assist banks in improving their performance. Lasaga has held high-level positions with Wharton Econometrics in Philadelphia; Citicorp in New York, including member of the international Bank Advisory Group which managed the rescheduling of emerging markets’ external debts during 1982 - 1985; and Southeast Bank in Miami, where he was a member of the bank’s Country Risk Committee. He has consulted for 20 years with the World Bank in Washington D.C., specializing in the evaluation of capital markets and development projects in emerging markets. He is also registered as an Investment Advisor. Lasaga was a member of the Florida Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors. An active community leader, he has served for 20 years on the Board of Directors of Baptist Hospital of Miami, and is also on the Board of the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute Management Company. He is also Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Miami Dade College’s School of Business. Lasaga has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Clinical Professor in the Department of Finance at Florida International University.
Jorge Salazar-Carrillo, Ph.D.
Director
Jorge Salazar-Carrillo, Ph.D. is Full Professor and former Chairman of the Department of Economics. He is also the Director of the Center of Economic Research in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University. Dr. Salazar-Carrillo holds an MA and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as its Certificate in Development Analysis and Planning. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami, where he worked at its Bureau of Business and Economic Research. He was enrolled in the last year of studies at the University of Habana Law School, when he had to flee Cuba in April 1960. His fields of expertise include international economics, macroeconomics and economic development. His research has covered all fields of economics, both in developed and developing countries. He was the youngest Senior Fellow ever at the Brookings Institution, and a Professorial Lecturer in Economics at Georgetown University. He was Director in the Economics Group of the Cuban Ministry of Finance during 1959-1960, and Commercial Attaché to the European Commission and Belgium, representing Cuba. He has advised several International Institutions in Washington, and was Director at the United National Development Program Mission in Rio de Janeiro. He was one of the originators of the International Comparisons Project, that brought forth international purchasing power comparisons for the World economy. He has also been a forensic economist in over fifty legal cases, and Director of several banks. He was an associate in the oldest economic consulting firm in the world: Robert Nathan Associates. He has also been a member of the Council of Economic Advisors of the State of Florida. Throughout his career he has edited and authored over three hundred articles and book chapters, and over ninety books. Currently, his research interests concern the economics of Asia and Latin America (including Cuba), and U.S. macro and microeconomics, including computable general equilibrium models and social accounting matrices. He has received large grants from the National Science Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations.
Gonzalo F. Valdés-Fauli
Director
Gonzalo F. Valdés-Fauli is Chairman of the Board of BroadSpan Capital LLC, an investment banking firm specializing in financial advisory services. He retired from Barclays Bank PLC, a major UK-based global bank, in 2001, where he held the position of Vice Chairman, Barclays Capital and Group Chief Executive Officer, Latin America. He was Chairman of the Board of Republic Bank of Dominican Republic, a financial services provider, until November 2007 and served on the Board of Directors in a number of public companies including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (a health insurance provider) as Lead Director, Knight Ridder Inc. (the second largest newspaper company) and Gildan Active Wear (the world largest active wear manufacturer). He is Trustee Emeritus of the University of Miami, Florida, and Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama. He holds a Master's Degree in International Finance from Thunderbird Graduate School.