AMERANT BANCORP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive Vice President
- SEVP, Chief Risk Officer / EMC Member
Alberto Capriles was appointed Senior Executive Vice President in January 2023 and named Chief Risk Officer in February 2018. He is responsible for all enterprise risk management oversight, including credit, market, operational and information security risk.
Capriles served in various roles with Mercantil Servicios Financieros (MSF) since 1995, including Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of the bank since 2016, Corporate Treasurer from 2008 to 2015, head of Corporate Market Risk Management from 1999 to 2008, and as Corporate Risk Specialist from 1995 to 1999, where he led the project to implement MSF's enterprise risk management model.
Prior to joining MSF, Capriles served as a foreign exchange trader with Banco Central de Venezuela (Venezuelan Central Bank) from 1989 to 1991. He also served as a Professor in the Economics Department at the Andres Bello Catholic University from 1996 to 2008.
Capriles graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Andres Bello Catholic University. He earned a Master's degree in International Development Economics from Yale University and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Risk Committee
- Account Circle / Compensation and Human Capital / Person / Risk
- Senior Vice President, Human Resources for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises & Latin America
Ashaki Rucker is the Senior Vice President, Human Resources for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises & Latin America where she is responsible for the development and execution of the Human Capital Strategy.
Ms. Rucker has 30 years of Human Capital experience partnering with C-Suite executives within global Fortune 100 companies. Her industry experience spans across financial services, professional services and media and entertainment. Ms. Rucker was recently recognized on Cablefax's Diversity list celebrating the most influential multi-ethnic executives in the media industry.
She started her career as an HR Associate at JP Morgan Chase and then held various senior HR leadership positions at UBS, Deutsche Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Warner Media and The Walt Disney Company. She has distinguished herself as a strategic, courageous and innovative leader with the ability to inspire large teams to execute effectively.
Ms. Rucker graduated from Columbia University's Teacher's College with a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University at Albany. Ms. Rucker is a Certified Corporate Director by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Ms. Rucker serves on the Board of Directors for Rebuilding Together Miami, and also serves on the Advisory Board of University of Miami Herbert Business School's Executive Education Program. She is also a member of Girls Inc for Greater Miami's 150+ Women Strong.
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer ( COO
- SEVP, Chief Operating Officer / EMC Member
Carlos Iafigliola was appointed Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer (COO) in June 2023. He is responsible for Amerant's loan and deposit operations, project management, technology services, procurement, facilities, strategy and digital. Iafigliola chairs the Board of Amerant Investments and is member of the Board of Amerant Mortgage. He serves as Board member for Habitat for Humanity Broward and is a member of the Investment Committee of United Way Miami.
Prior to his appointment as COO, Iafigliola served as EVP, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since May 2020 spearheading Amerant's financial management, including treasury, financial reporting and accounting, financial analysis, investor relations & sustainability, internal controls and corporate tax. Iafigliola also served as SVP, Treasury Manager from 2015 to May 2020 and held various management positions in the Treasury area from 2004 to 2015. Prior to joining Amerant, he served in senior roles in Market Risk at Banco Mercantil, also known as Mercantil Servicios Financieros (MSF), from 2000 to 2004. He joined MSF in April 1998.
Iafigliola earned a degree in Economics from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela in 1998 and a Masters in Finance from Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA) in 2003 he was also part of Miami Leadership Program cohort 2011.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- President of Monument Capital Management
Erin Knight is President of Monument Capital Management ("Monument"), a fully-integrated real estate management and private equity firm that has acquired and managed over $1B of real estate assets across 15 states. In her role she is responsible for Monument's operations, its growth strategy, and investor relations.
Ms. Knight has over 20 years of financial services experience, spanning across risk analysis and management and strategic growth, having served on both credit and investment committees.
She began her career with SunTrust Bank as a commercial analyst and subsequently held leadership roles at Regions Bank and SouthTrust (now Wells Fargo). Prior to its successful sale to Centennial Bank, Ms. Knight led Stonegate Bank's expansion into Miami, opening de novo offices and serving as Market President for the organization.
Ms. Knight graduated from Florida State University, is a Certified Financial Planner™ and holds a NASD Series 7 license. She serves on the Board of Governors for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the Board of Directors at The Miami Foundation and the Baptist Health Foundation, and is a member of the International Women's Forum (IWF).
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
Mr. Marturet has served as the owner and CEO of Martuga Corporation, a general consulting services company since December 2021. In 2017, he co-founded Unison Asset Management LLC (an SEC registered US equity fund manager), an affiliate of Canepa for which he served as CEO and Co-Portfolio Manager until the end of 2021. From October 2016 until November 2021, Mr. Marturet was a Director of Canepa Funds ICAV in Dublin, Ireland. From 2012 until 2017 Mr. Marturet served as the Portfolio Manager of the Canepa Equity Select Fund, an investment fund. Previously, Mr. Marturet served as the Head of Private Banking and Asset Management at the Bank from 2008 to 2012, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank's securities broker-dealer subsidiary from 2002 to 2010. Mr. Marturet served as a director of MSF from 2014 to 2018. Mr. Marturet also served in various roles at Verizon Investment Management, a corporate pension manager, and Bankers Trust Company, a New York-based bank.
Mr. Marturet is a graduate of the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela), Yale University, and Hult University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive Vice President
- SEVP, Head of Consumer Banking / EMC Member
Howard Levine was appointed Senior Executive Vice President in January 2023. He has served as Head of Consumer Banking since joining Amerant in June 2022. Levine oversees the Private Client Group, Wealth Management, Small Business Banking, Retail Banking, and Amerant Mortgage. Most recently, he served as EVP and Chief Revenue Officer at Amerant Mortgage, of which he is a founding partner.
Howard has an entrepreneurial mindset and a wide foundation in banking. He came to Amerant in November 2020 from City National Bank of Florida, where he served as EVP and Executive Vice President for Private Banking, Private Wealth, and Residential Mortgage. Prior to joining CNB in 2017, Howard was EVP, Consumer & Residential Lending & Treasury Management at Sabadell United Bank, N.A. His wide banking experience includes providing exceptional service for high-net-worth individuals and professional firms of Amerant Mortgage, LLC.
Howard has more than 25 years of experience in real estate finance and has experience running mortgage businesses in independent mortgage companies and in community banks. Howard has a bachelor's degree from Hofstra University in Long Island, NY.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman
- Chairman and CEO / EMC Member
Mr. Plush serves as the Company's Chairman, President, and CEO since June 8, 2022, having served previously as Vice-Chairman & CEO since March 20, 2021, and as Vice Chairman since February 15, 2021. Mr. Plush is a highly respected financial services industry professional with over 35 years of senior executive leadership experience. From January 2019 to February 2021, he was a partner at Patriot Financial Partners, a private equity firm where he sourced new investment opportunities and served on the board of directors for multiple portfolio banks, finance and fintech companies. In 2018, he served as CEO for Verdigris Holdings, Inc., leading this start-up through the regulatory application, organization, and initial funding processes. Mr. Plush's other prominent leadership roles include his tenure with Santander US from 2014 to 2017, initially as CFO and Executive Committee member, and subsequently as Chief Administrative Officer. He served on the board of Santander Consumer from 2014 to 2016, and as a director for the FHLB of Pittsburgh from 2016 to 2017. Mr. Plush previously served as President, COO and Board Member for Webster Bank, beginning in July 2006 as EVP and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Webster, he spent over 11 years with MBNA America, most recently as Senior Executive Vice President & Managing Director of Corporate Development and Acquisitions, and before that, as CFO-North America.
Mr. Plush holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council and the Orange Bowl Committee.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Audit / Person / Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability
Since July 2017, Mr. Quelch has served as the dean of the University of Miami Herbert Business School. He also serves as the University's vice provost for executive education. Prior to joining the Miami Herbert Business School, Mr. Quelch was the Charles Edward Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He also held a joint appointment as professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Prior to his most recent time at Harvard, Mr. Quelch was dean, vice president and distinguished professor of international management of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) from 2011 to 2013, leading the school to significant increase in annual revenues and improving the global ranking of its MBA programs. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Quelch served as dean of the London Business School, where he helped transform the school into a globally competitive institution and launched seed capital funds to invest in student and alumni start-ups. Mr. Quelch initially joined Harvard Business School in 1979, holding a number of positions over the years, including Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing, co-chair of the marketing department and Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration. He served as senior associate dean of Harvard Business School from 2001 to 2010. Mr. Quelch has served as an independent director of several publicly traded companies in the United States and the United Kingdom as well as in nonprofit and public agency boards, including as chairman of the Massachusetts Port Authority. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Quelch earned a BA and an MA from Exeter College, Oxford University; an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; an MS from the Harvard School of Public Health; and a DBA in business from Harvard Business School.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Risk Committee
- Audit / Account Circle / Risk
- Consultant to the International Monetary Fund
Since June 2015, Mr. Quill has served as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund (the "IMF"), an international organization with the aim of promoting international financial and monetary cooperation, where he previously served as a Senior Financial Sector Expert in bank supervision and policy effectiveness from 2013 to 2015. Prior to the IMF, Mr. Quill served in various capacities with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC"), a U.S. financial regulator, from 1980 to 2011, including Deputy Comptroller from 2004 to 2011 and the chair of the interagency council that advised the United States Treasury as to banks that should receive funds under the United States Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program. Mr. Quill was an independent director of Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust, Coral Gables, Florida from 2015 to 2018.
Mr. Quill earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of South Florida.
Job Titles:
- Head
- SEVP, Head of Commercial Banking / EMC Member
Juan Esterripa serves as Amerant Bank's SEVP, Head of Commercial Banking since April 2023. He is a seasoned banking professional with significant experience in corporate and commercial banking. In his role, Esterripa oversees multiple business sectors, including commercial banking, commercial real estate, syndications, specialty finance, and treasury management, while promoting business development across the bank and driving profitable growth.
Before Amerant, Esterripa served as EVP, Wholesale Banking Executive at City National Bank - Florida since 2016. From 2013 to 2017, he was SVP, Corporate & Commercial Banking Manager at BankUnited, N.A., managing its largest book of business. He served as Executive Vice President at Stonegate Bank from 2012 to 2013 and as Senior Vice President at Capital Bank since 2010 prior to that. From 2009 to 2010, Esterripa was SVP, Chief Lending Officer at Pacific National Bank, and from 2006 to 2009, he served as SVP, Head of Middle Market Division at Mercantil Commercebank, N.A.
Esterripa is a graduate of the Harvard Business School executive management program. His expertise and industry knowledge has brought significant value to the organizations with which he has worked, all while his insights and strategic vision have helped drive growth and profitability.
Job Titles:
- Head of Investor Relations
- Senior Vice President
- SVP, Head of Investor Relations & Sustainability
Laura Rossi was appointed Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations & Sustainability in August 2022, having served previously as SVP, Head of Investor Relations since March 2018. In her role, Rossi spearheads Amerant's relationship with the investment community and rating agencies, as well as the Company's ESG program execution and strategy. She was responsible for the development and implementation of the Investor Relations function, as Amerant transitioned to being an independent public organization. In addition to the CEO and CFO, Rossi is a spokesperson for Amerant in its interactions with market participants.
Rossi has held various roles since joining Amerant in 2005. She served as project manager for the company's spin-off and IPO, successfully leading a multidisciplinary team of internal and external experts during this process. From 2005 to 2017, Rossi was an instrumental part of the Corporate International and Market Risk units.
Prior to her tenure at Amerant, Rossi worked in marketing and communications, as well as finance, in the medical equipment industry, from 2002 to 2005.
Rossi holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in International Business, from the University of Wisconsin and a Master in Science of Finance from Florida International University.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Director of the Board of Voices for Children Foundation, Inc
- SEVP, Chief People Officer / EMC Member
Mariola Triana Sanchez leads Amerant Bank's approach to people and organizational culture as the bank's Chief People Officer. Previously serving as Amerant's General Counsel, Mariola was appointed to her new position in June 2022.
With an educational background in human behavior and law, in addition to 15 years working at Amerant, she brings a wealth of organizational knowledge and an informed perspective to her role. She and her leadership team are focused on learning and development, management practices, and diversity and inclusion, in keeping with Amerant's ESG goals.
As General Counsel, Mariola advised the company on a range of legal matters, including labor and employment. She has practiced law for over 25 years, primarily as in-house counsel for financial institutions. Prior to joining Amerant in 2007 as Associate General Counsel, she served as Associate General Counsel at Regions Bank (formerly Union Planters Bank).
Active in the community, Mariola serves as a Director of the Board of Voices for Children Foundation, Inc. and Center for Financial Training. Mariola earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Miami and a juris doctorate from St. Thomas University. She also graduated from ExecOnline's Fostering Inclusion and Diversity Program from Yale School of Management in April 2021.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Risk Committee
- Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability / Person / Risk
Mr. Capriles has been the Managing Director of Gran Roque Capital, a real estate development firm focused in Spain and Portugal, since 2014. Previously, Mr. Capriles served as the Chairman and President of Cadena Capriles, a newspaper publisher in Venezuela from 1998 to 2013. He has also served as a director of H.L. Boulton S.A., a Venezuela-based holding company engaged in the import and export of goods and equipment and maritime services, since 1999 and Corporación Industrial Carabobo, C.A., Venezuela's main tile producer, since 2014. Previously, Mr. Capriles served as a director of Mercantil Servicios Financieros ("MSF") from 1997 to 2018 and was a member of the Governing Council of the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion-IESA in Venezuela.
Mr. Capriles has a degree in business administration from the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Risk Committee
Mr. Wilson served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company from 2009 until March 2021, and as Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank from 2013 until March 2021. During his tenure as Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wilson successfully led the Company through one of the most historically difficult times the financial industry has faced. Under his leadership, the Bank grew to $8 billion in assets, achieved a continuous upward trend in net income, and enhanced both the banking center network and product offerings to steadily increase lending and deposits. Previously, Mr. Wilson served, for over 30 years, in various roles with MSF including as Executive Director of International Business of MSF from 2013 until January 2018. Mr. Wilson served as a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Miami Branch from 2013 to 2019 and served as a member of the board of directors of Enterprise Florida, Inc. from 2009 to 2013, as chairman of the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Greater Miami and the Keys from 2001 to 2002 and as a director and treasurer of the Miami Dade College Foundation from 1999 to 2004.
Mr. Wilson is a graduate of Bradford University, England and the Harvard Business School Management Development Program.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
Mr. Suarez is a lifelong resident of Miami. He recently retired after 40 years of public accounting experience spanning the consumer/retail, hospitality, transportation and international banking sectors. He was most recently a member of the Ernst & Young (EY) U.S. central region leadership team. Prior to that, Mr. Suarez served as EY's markets leader for Florida and Puerto Rico, overseeing all services provided by EY in these two markets. Mr. Suarez was recently admitted as an executive member to the Latino Corporate Directors Association, is a board member of Industrial Rail Services, L.P., and has served over the last 14 years as the chair of the Florida Accountants Coalition. Mr. Suarez started his career in 1981 with Arthur Andersen and subsequently spent 15 years with KPMG, finally joining EY in 2004. During his career, he worked with management teams and board of directors across large multinational and SEC registrants and served on the board of Miami United Way and Florida international University (FIU) Foundation. Mr. Suarez was a founding member of corporate advisory boards at FIU and University of Miami.
Mr. Suarez received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. Thomas University
Job Titles:
- Lead Independent Director
- Compensation and Human Capital / Account Circle / Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability
- Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives at the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition
Dr. Dana has served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives at the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, a Florida-based research institute engaged in artificial intelligence, robotics, sensory substitution, data mining, and related technologies, since 2007. Previously, Dr. Dana served as the Executive Director of the Florida Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development from 1999 to 2007 and Florida's Chief Protocol Officer from 2002 to 2007. Dr. Dana served as Assistant and Deputy Secretary of the California Trade and Commerce Agency from 1995 to 1999. Dr. Dana has served as Vice Chair of the board of directors of Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. since 2013, which is overseeing the distribution of $1.5 billion in BP oil spill settlement payments awarded to Florida, and is Chair of the Scripps Florida Funding Corporation Board, where she has also served as a member of the Audit Committee, since 2007. She has been a Trustee of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation since 2007, a member of the Florida Sports Foundation Board (2011-2019), and a member of the International Economic Development Council since 2007. From 2006 to 2009, Dr. Dana was a Trustee of the University of West Florida and was a voting member for Florida on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council from 2011 to 2016.
Dr. Dana holds a Ph.D. in International Development and Economics from the University of Southern California, a master's in administration, planning and policy from Harvard University and a bachelor's in sociology and social work from California State University, Chico.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Risk Committee
- Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability / Person / Risk
- Independent Advisor
Ms. Holroyd has been an independent advisor to the oil and gas industry since February 2020 through Golden Advisory Services, a consulting firm she founded. Previously, Ms. Holroyd served as a Managing Director at Lantana Energy Advisors, an advisory firm specializing in energy transactions, which was a division of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., the corporate and investment banking arm of Truist Financial Corporation. Prior to that, she served as a Managing Director at TPG Sixth Street Partners, a global finance and investment firm, from September 2016 to January 2018, and as Technical Director at Denham Capital Management LP, an energy and resources-focused global private equity firm, from October 2011 to September 2016. Ms. Holroyd previously served as Global Reserves Audit Manager and Business Opportunity Manager at Royal Dutch Shell PLC, as Vice President of EIG Global Energy Partners, a provider of institutional capital to the global energy industry, and Vice President of Ryder Scott Company, a petroleum consulting firm. Ms. Holroyd currently serves on the Board of Directors of Crestwood Equity Partners LP as well as Chord Energy where she is a member of the Audit & Reserves, and Sustainability Committees. Previously, Ms. Holroyd served as an independent director for Gulfport Energy.
Ms. Holroyd received a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, and holds FINRA Certifications (Series 79 and Series 63). She is a Certified Corporate Director by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and is NACD Certified in ESG.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- EVP
- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer ( CFO
Sharymar Calderón Yépez was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in June 2023. Calderón is responsible for Amerant's financial management, including treasury, financial reporting and accounting, financial analysis, investor relations & sustainability, internal controls and corporate tax. She also chairs the Asset-Liability Committee. Prior to her appointment as CFO, Calderón served as Senior Vice President, Head of Internal Audit at Amerant since June 2021, where she led the implementation and monitoring of the Company's audit plan and risk assessments, including coordination with external auditors and the integration of SOX audits. She is a licensed CPA in both Florida and Puerto Rico.