In the News.
Features, partnerships, lectures, and milestones from the work of the Cuban Banking Study Group.
From Zimbabwe to Wall Street
An FIU graduate credits CBSG director and professor Marcos Kerbel for setting her on a path from architecture dreams to a career in banking law.
Read Full Story →
Enia Gyan (BBA ’09) arrived at FIU from Harare, Zimbabwe with dreams of becoming an architect. But it was a finance class taught by Marcos Kerbel, a distinguished banker and longtime assistant teaching professor of finance, that would chart an entirely new course for Gyan and lead to a successful career in banking law and corporate finance.
Now an associate in the New York office of global law firm Fried Frank, Gyan credits Kerbel’s teaching and mentorship for sparking her interest in finance and instilling lifelong values of leadership and integrity. “I really loved his message on integrity,” Gyan said. “He used to say, ‘If you’re a chief executive without integrity, you’re just a chef that’s going to cook the books.’ That stuck with me. I realized then that sophistication means nothing if you don’t have ethics behind it.”
Gyan switched her major to finance after taking Kerbel’s commercial banking course, captivated by everything from the long history of banking to the structure of bank balance sheets. After graduating with honors, she landed her first corporate job as a bank examiner — an opportunity that came about after Kerbel recommended her to a contact at the State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation.
“Professor Kerbel has worked with many bankers and regulators in South Florida for decades,” said Gyan. “To benefit from his extensive network and learn of opportunities I would not have known of otherwise is pretty incredible.” Her time as a bank examiner inspired her to attend law school, and ultimately to represent financial institutions and borrowers in high-stakes corporate finance transactions in the U.S. and internationally.
The two remain in close contact, and she recently returned to campus to speak to students in his banking class. “To me, FIU and Miami will always be home,” Gyan said. Her advice to students: “Be present. Be a sponge. Build credibility by doing good work. And stay connected — you never know where any one relationship will take you.”
Source: FIU College of Business
CBSG Signs MOU with Casa Cuba & FIU
CBSG, FIU, and Casa Cuba executed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on Cuban banking education and to establish the Hall of Fame.
Read Full Story →
On April 23, Directors of the Cuban Banking Study Group met with top executives of Florida International University and Casa Cuba to execute a Memorandum of Understanding providing for close cooperation in their future endeavors. FIU was represented by President Dr. Mark Rosenberg and Provost Kenneth Furton; Casa Cuba by its Executive Director Maria Carla Chicuen. Fernando A. Capablanca, President of CBSG, signed the MOU on behalf of the organization, which was well represented by many of its Board members.
According to Capablanca, “the MOU is designed, among other things, to establish and explore the current and emerging educational needs of FIU students and the community regarding the history and future development of the Cuban banking system, by utilizing the experience of our members. In addition, it gives us the opportunity to create a Cuban Bankers Hall of Fame within Casa Cuba to honor those in our industry who have distinguished themselves in Cuba and internationally.”
“CBSG and Casa Cuba recognize the compatibility of their institutional missions and look forward to a mutually profitable relationship in the coming years.”
In attendance: Maria Carla Chicuen (Casa Cuba), Fernando A. Capablanca (CBSG), Mark Rosenberg (FIU), Dr. Jorge Salazar-Carrillo (FIU), Maria Grisel Vega (Bci), José Ramón Garrigó (CBSG), Manuel Lasaga (FIU), Kenneth Furton (FIU), Juan del Busto (Del Busto Capital), Marcos Kerbel (FIU), Professor Maite Morales (Casa Cuba), and Lydia Betancourt (FIU Foundation).
Kenneth Rogoff on Central Bank Independence
The Harvard economist and former IMF Chief Economist addressed central bank independence and its implications for Latin America and Cuba.
Read Full Story →
On December 3, 2019, Kenneth Rogoff was invited by the Cuban Banking Study Group to present his views on “The Beginning of the End of Central Bank Independence and its Implication in Latin America and Cuba.”
Rogoff is the Thomas D. Cabot Professor at Harvard University and served as Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund from 2001–2003. Known for seminal work on exchange rates and central bank independence, he has authored several books including “The Curse of Cash.” He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and ranked among the top ten economists on RePEc by scholarly citations.
The presentation was attended by CBSG Directors and members and local bankers. Among other questions, participants inquired about the supposed independence of the Central Bank of Cuba and of government-controlled economies. President Fernando Capablanca affirmed, “This is a continuation of the education and services provided to our membership.”
CBSG Celebrates 25 Years
CBSG marked its 25th anniversary at the Big Five Club in Miami, honoring directors who served continuously for 25 years.
Read Full Story →
On December 6, 2017, the Cuban Banking Study Group celebrated its 25th anniversary with a reception and dinner at the Big Five Club in Miami. About 140 people participated. “We were delighted to see so many bankers and friends joining us — it was better than we had envisioned,” said José R. Garrigó, CBSG Vice President and Treasurer.
President Fernando Capablanca presented awards to Directors who had served continuously for 25 years, and the deceased Directors were remembered. “It is important to remember those who preceded us and dedicated many years to helping us get to where we are today. We owe it to them never to forget their contributions,” said Capablanca.
Capablanca traced the history of the Cuban banking and financial systems from their inception in 1832 to the present, noting that “Cuba had a robust financial system in the 1950s, where Cuban-owned banks controlled over 80% of assets and deposits. CBSG believes that an indigenous banking industry — ready to serve local communities and small businesses, working alongside government institutions, foreign banks, and multinational agencies — is critical to Cuba’s future economic development.”
La Pandemia y la Banca en Cuba
A document presented by President Fernando Capablanca at FIU Casa Cuba on May 4, 2020.
Read Full Story →
“La Pandemia y la Banca en Cuba” — a document presented on May 4, 2020 by Fernando Capablanca, CBSG President, at Florida International University’s Casa Cuba, examining the pandemic’s impact on banking in Cuba.
A Reinvigorated Helms-Burton
President Fernando Capablanca’s presentation, “A Reinvigorated Helms-Burton: Coming Storm or Sunshower?”
Read Full Story →
CBSG President Fernando Capablanca delivered a presentation titled “A Reinvigorated Helms-Burton: Coming Storm or Sunshower?”, examining the implications of renewed enforcement of the Helms-Burton Act for banking and investment.
Hall of Fame Tribute Dinner
CBSG holds an annual tribute dinner to honor the newest inductees to the Cuban Bankers’ Hall of Fame.
Read Full Story →
The Cuban Banking Study Group holds an annual tribute dinner to honor the newest inductees to the Cuban Bankers’ Hall of Fame, in partnership with Casa Cuba at Florida International University. View the inductees and gala photos →