Our Team
Tailored Solutions with a Human Touch
Concierge banking is about personally serving people. Our customer is the root of the culture we have created where each employee understands the importance of exceeding expectations. By going above and beyond to engage our customers, we earn their trust the old-fashioned way—through a genuine connection.
Chairman of the Board
Carlos Ricardo Francisco Singer joined the Board of Directors of International Finance Bank in 2019. Mr. Singer is the chairman of the Executive Committee of ACP Capital Management, a boutique investment bank in Miami. Before that, he was Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for the Latin America Region of Wells Fargo Bank's Financial Institutions Group.
Mr. Singer has more than 25 years of international banking experience. Since joining Wachovia in 2003, Carlos has been the manager of the Representative Office in Santiago, Chile with responsibilities for Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. Before joining Wachovia, Carlos was head of the New York Representative Office for Banco Santiago. He also held a senior position for the Government of Chile as Commercial Counsellor in New York where he managed trade and investment programs.
Carlos is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Business in New York. He has also taught Economics and Finance at several universities in Chile including Universidad de Santiago, Universidad del Desarrollo and Universidad Catolica. Carlos received an M.S. in Economics from Boston University, an M.A. in Government from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a B.A. in Political Science from the College of Wooster in Ohio.
Director
John McGuire joined International Finance Bank on March 24, 2016 as a Bank Director. Mr. McGuire brings with him over forty-five years of commercial banking experience in both the international and domestic sectors.
Early in his career, Mr. McGuire served as Chief Executive Officer for a domestic community bank and for the international subsidiaries of two large financial institutions. Additionally, Mr. McGuire has worked as an independent consultant for the past 30 years on various financial projects for both foreign and domestic banks, and foreign government agencies and international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank.
Mr. McGuire served honorably as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Coast Guard. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami (Coral Gables).
Director
Victor Laso holds both a Bachelor of Law Degree as well as a Master’s in International & Special Taxation from The Universidad Complutense in Madrid. Additionally, he has taught as a visiting professor at the highly respected European Studies Institute & CEU University in Madrid for the last fifteen years. His banking career was developed at prestigious multinational banking institutions for over twenty years: Citibank North America, Citibank España S.A, Credit Suisse, and at the HQ IF Corporate Office (DGC).
Director
Ana Teresa Arismendi joined the Board of Directors of International Finance Bank in 2022. She has worked in different capacities for a prominent Latin American family for over 35 years. She has now been running their Family Office for over ten years, managing multi-disciplinary teams and projects to serve the family's needs around taxes, investments, financial planning, estate planning, and accounting. She serves as an Advisor on the Family Board of Trustees.
Ana Teresa has a double Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and Banking & Finance from Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.
Director
Carlos started his banking career in 1984 at Chase Manhattan Bank in Lima, Peru, where he worked with the Latin America group.
From 1984 to 1994, Carlos held several positions as Operations & Systems Manager in Peru, Dominican Republic and Venezuela, having an active role in the opening of the branch in Lima and two brokerage houses in Venezuela. As Operations and Systems Manager, he was responsible for managing all back-office activities, as well as implementing new products and services for Chase. During his tenure in Venezuela, he also helped in expanding Chase Global Custody services in Latin America.
Given his extensive experience in operations and international background, in 1994 he became the head of the Institutional Sales group for Global Payments and Treasury Services in New York, responsible for developing correspondent banking relationships with Latin American banks. He and his team were responsible for establishing new banking relationships, implementing credit facilities and growing the correspondent business in the region. He was also a member of the committee to oversee the development of new products and services for customers of the bank.
In 1999, Carlos was asked to join the J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Miami as Relationship Manager covering Latin American clients. With over 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, Carlos was a Managing Director and Senior Banker at J.P. Morgan Latin America Private Bank. Main duties included advising clients on investment practices and policies, delivering customized solutions in specific situations and generally providing strategic advice to ultra-high net worth families from Central America and the Caribbean. Main issues included discussion of appropriate bank products, inter-temporal investment decisions, lending and financial decisions and managing complex relationships across different ownership structures and industries.
On May 2019 Carlos retired from J.P. Morgan and subsequently joined Valor Advisors LLC, a Multi-Family Office, focusing on developing and managing a group of client relationships from Central America and the Caribbean.
Carlos Heighes holds a M.B.A. from Columbia University in New York, and a B.A. in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico in Lima, Peru. He also registered in the Kellogg School of Management participating in courses such as Forming Family Governance and Governing Family Enterprises.
He is a member of “Beta Gamma Sigma”, an Honor Society for Collegiate Schools of Business.
EVP & Chief Financial Officer and CRA Officer
Sonia Canessa-Gonzalez is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at International Finance Bank, where oversees the accounting, treasury, deposit operations and IT departments. Mrs. Canessa-Gonzalez has over 30 years of experience in finance and over 20 years within the banking industry, both overseas and in South Florida. After starting her career at the International Trade desk of a large bank, Mrs. Canessa-Gonzalez found success as a turnaround agent in growing community banks, overseeing system conversions, and process overhauls.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mrs. Canessa-Gonzalez moved to New York shortly after graduating college and settled in Miami in 1997. She served as Director of the South Florida Banking Institute from 2007 through 2018 and is currently serving as Treasurer on the Miami Bayside Foundation Board of Directors.
Sonia Canessa-Gonzalez received her undergraduate degree in Economics from Universidad de Buenos Aires and a Master of Accounting from Florida International University.
SVP & Chief Credit Officer
Peter C. Quevedo has joined International Finance Bank (IFB) as a Senior Vice President and assumes the role of Chief Credit Officer. Mr. Quevedo brings with him almost 20 years of experience across all aspects commercial banking, including C.R.E., construction, and private banking.
Mr. Quevedo served as Senior Vice President at Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust where he was responsible for overseeing the Credit Underwriting Department as Credit Manager / Senior Credit Officer. Mr. Quevedo has extensive experience in both commercial and residential lending.
Mr. Quevedo attended Florida International University where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.
SVP & Head of Closing Department, Loan Operations and Special Assets Department
Carlos Delgado began his banking career in 1986 with Amerifirst Federal Saving and Loan Association (Florida’s first federally charted S & L). He has dedicated his career to Special Assets, spanning nearly four decades with an emphasis on workouts, note sales, litigation, and managing the Bank’s OERO portfolio. Delgado joined International Finance Bank in 2016 and is currently Senior Vice President of the bank’s Loan Operations, Closing, and Special Assets Departments.
Carlos was raised in South Florida and attended Miami Dade College, where he pursued a degree in Business Administration. Mr. Delgado participated in Programa de Alta Direccion at IESE Business School in Madrid, Spain. He is a strong supporter of children and our community and has served as a board member of the Miami Dade County School PTA/PTSA, where he currently serves as the Investment Chairman. He has also served on several local and national organizations, such as Boy Scouts of South Florida, Big Brother/Big Sister Foundation, and was the Chairman of the Youth Committee for National PTA in Washington DC.
Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer
Richard (“Rick”) J. Ferranti serves as Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer at International Finance Bank. He has a diverse background in all aspects of bank technology and operations. Rick has obtained his expertise through many years of experience in major banks and a successful launch and growth of a startup bank in the New York City area.
Rick takes pride in training his staff members and helping his colleagues to efficiently and accurately carry-out the Bank’s operations functions. He is a passionate mentor who encourages people to nurture and update their skills in order to advance in their careers.
Rick once appeared on CNN's Larry King Live as an expert on community banks, discussing ways in which they gain trust and become reliable partners in their neighborhoods. He earned an MBA in Banking and Finance from the University of Michigan and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Wayne State University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
SVP & Human Resources Manager
Denisse Pichardo joined International Finance Bank in August 2022 as the Senior Vice President & Human Resources Manager. She is responsible for providing strategic staffing plans, employee experience initiatives, and HR business analysis, all while creating an engaging, high-performance culture. In addition, she supports the career development program, policies, and procedures; ensures legal compliance; and implements the organization's mission and talent strategy.
Denisse Pichardo has more than 17 years of experience developing and implementing successful HR initiatives and managing complex projects in challenging business environments. She has led various HR projects for the USA, the Caribbean region, LATAM, and Spain, focusing on social responsibility, internal and external customer satisfaction, cost savings initiatives, talent acquisition, employee relations, career development, and more.
Ms. Pichardo attended Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Santiago, DR, where she obtained a Bachelor's in Industrial Psychology and a Master's Degree in Management. She received and completed a Master's degree in Human Resources from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, and a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Florida International University.
SVP & Head of Domestic Preferred Banking
Alex Soto joined International Finance Bank on June 15, 2015 as Senior Vice President of Business Development for Domestic Preferred Banking. Mr. Soto has over 14 years of experience in commercial banking.
Mr. Soto is a Miami native who is a graduate of Florida International University and St. Thomas University. Mr. Soto is an active member in the South Florida community as Board Member of Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Board Member of the Early Learning Children’s Foundation, past President of the Kiwanis of Coral Gables & past Board Member of the Code Enforcement & Charter Review of the City of West Miami, and was part of Programa de Alta Direccion at IESE Business School.
SVP & Head of International Preferred Banking
Nora Pinilla Shapiro began her banking career in 1982 at Union Chelsea National Bank, a predecessor of Modern Bank. Mrs. Pinilla Shapiro spent several years as a Customer Service Officer at the branch level in both Domestic and International areas. In this role, she developed a great understanding of banking compliance and operations. This knowledge, along with her ability to foster great relationships with various clients, led her to a promotion to Branch Manager. In this capacity, she developed her abilities to work with a diverse clientele.
Mrs. Pinilla Shapiro was eventually promoted to the Assistant Vice President role in the International Private Banking area. She built relationships with many high net-worth clients and steadily increased the level of international deposits during her tenure.
Mrs. Pinilla Shapiro would later become Senior Vice President in the International Private Banking area at Excel Bank, N.A. (the immediate predecessor to Modern Bank), and then Senior Executive Vice President at Modern Bank. In 2005, she created an all-new International Private Banking Department at Modem Bank. This department consisted of team members in New York and Miami.
The quality of Mrs. Pinilla Shapiro’s relationships with her international clients has led her to multi-generational repeat business. Many of these clients think of Nora as a “member of the family.” Notably, she has been able to foster these relationships while working within the restrictions typical of smaller banks. Nora continues to value client needs and effective teamwork as the two most important aspects of her work. Mrs. Pinilla Shapiro attended Hunter College in New York City.
SVP & Head of International Preferred Banking
Ricardo Loor Zavala has served as Senior Vice President and Head of International Preferred Banking for International Finance Bank since September 2023. International Finance Bank (IFB) was founded in 1983 and since than it has provided tailored financial solutions for domestic and foreign clientele in the U.S. IFB is a 5 Star Bauer Financial Bank that made the Daily Business Review Best of Hall of Fame in four banking categories, is a Top 3 Best Business Bank, and is recognized as a Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.
Mr. Loor Zavala joined IFB in August 2012 covering multiple roles such as Head Of Business Banking, Optimization Commitee Co Chair, Marketing Director and Lending Officer. Mr. Loor Zavala is regarded as one of the institution's top producers managing effectively both sides of the balance sheet with the bank's most prominent clients.
Mr. Loor Zavala earned his MBA from the University of Florida and received a BBA degree in finance, management, and marketing from the University of Miami. Mr. Loor Zavala is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), a Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS), additionally he holds a FL 215 and Series 65 License. Mr. Loor Zavala was also part of Grupo IF first class of the PAD (Programa de Alta de Dirección) at IESE Business School.
Mr. Loor Zavala is actively involved in the community, constantly participating with Junior Achievement of Greater Miami and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
SVP & Chief Compliance Officer
Robert Mas joined International Finance Bank in 2015 and is currently the Chief Compliance Officer responsible for managing and organizing the Bank’s Consumer Compliance and Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Compliance programs. Additionally, he provides oversight and supervision as the Compliance Officer of the Bank’s Wealth Management Division. Robert Mas has more than 20 years of banking experience working at institutions based in South Florida and Internationally, primarily in leadership roles within Risk Management and BSA/AML/OFAC Compliance.
Raised in South Florida, Robert Mas attended Broward College, where he pursued a degree in Business Administration. Mr. Mas participated in Programa de Alta Direccion at IESE Business School in Madrid, Spain. As a supporter of equal rights and community building, he has participated in events such as the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run and the Human Rights Campaign, a non-profit organization advocating for equal rights of LGBTQ+ and people of color.
SVP & Information Technology Director
Hugo Torres is the Senior Vice President and Information Technology Director at International Finance Bank. Mr. Torres has more than 30 years of experience in information technology including 25 years in Banking Information Systems. He oversees all aspects of the Bank’s technology environment, from applications, cybersecurity, processes, and infrastructure supporting the Bank’s day-to-day business operations.
Mr. Torres is a graduate of Florida International University where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems. He also served in the United States Marine Corps and Honorably Discharged.
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