Abel Iglesias, President & CEO, International Finance Bank

Invest: sat down with Abel Iglesias, CEO of International Finance Bank, to discuss the bank’s international strategy, technology investments, and relationship-driven approach to community banking in Miami. “People ask what we specialize in, whether it is a certain asset class or a particular kind of account holder. No, we specialize in relationships, and that lens shapes how we serve clients,” Iglesias said.

How is International Finance Bank approaching the expansion of its international presence, and how does that align with your long-term growth strategy?

International Finance Bank, or IFB, has been involved in international banking for a long time. That experience gives us a strong understanding of foreign clients who want to establish banking relationships in the United States, particularly those seeking U.S. dollar-deposit accounts and access to a stable, well-regulated banking system.

Because we have served international clients for many years, we understand their needs, their expectations, and the importance of making the onboarding process clear and efficient. Our client base is roughly split between international and domestic customers, and our international deposit book includes clients from more than 50 countries. We do not maintain representative offices abroad, and we do not go out and solicit business overseas. Clients come to us because they know we have the experience to onboard international accounts responsibly, conduct the appropriate due diligence on each relationship, and accommodate their needs here in the United States.

Our strategy internationally is to continue doing what we do, but do it better. That means improving product capabilities, expanding digital connectivity, and making the onboarding experience more efficient and responsive, while staying inside the regulatory framework and our risk appetite.

Additionally, IFB is fundamentally a community bank. Beyond international onboarding and deposits, we provide commercial community banking services rooted in our core markets. We are headquartered in Miami and operate a full-service branch in New York, and what sets us apart is being able to understand both worlds well.

How is IFB integrating technology into its services, and what role does innovation play in the bank’s future?

We committed more than a year ago to significantly enhancing technology across the organization. The goal is not just to keep up, but to position the bank for where banking is going. With two offices, the way we extend our reach is through digitalization.

Earlier in my career, people judged a bank’s reach by asking how many branches it had. Today, that question matters far less than it used to. What matters is how effectively you can reach clients through technology, and how seamlessly clients can transact and communicate without needing to visit a physical location. Technology is how we bring the bank to our clients.

We have invested heavily in our digital banking offering, treasury management channels, and the touchpoints where clients interact with IFB. We have made significant progress, and we are still refining and testing enhancements carefully so that what we roll out is stable and intuitive.

One thing cannot be lost, though. No matter how much we invest in technology, we cannot forget the human element. Clients want the convenience of digital tools, but they also want to know that if something goes sideways, they can reach a real banker who responds immediately. The right model is technology and people, working together.

How does the bank tailor its services to meet the needs of both individuals and businesses?

We do it by listening. We may have ideas about what will improve a client’s interaction with the bank, but we start by asking what they need, and then we adjust. The goal is not to deliver our services and ask clients to adapt to us. The goal is to listen and deliver service in a way that fits their business.

At about $1.6 billion in assets, we are large enough to invest in technology and serve complex relationships, but small enough to stay nimble and bespoke. That shows up in how we customize treasury management solutions, connect products, and streamline workflows for specific operating needs.

We cannot accommodate everything, and we will not step outside regulatory requirements or our risk appetite. But most of the time, we can find a practical path. When we build something for one client, we often create a capability we can leverage for others.

How do you assess and manage financial risk in an increasingly complex global economy?

Risk is the business we are in, and the job is managing it. You cannot eliminate risk, but you can govern it well. That starts with the board. We have an active board and a clear risk policy statement, and we evaluate the risks associated with the products and services we provide.

For me, risk management and customer experience are always in balance. If you manage risk to the point where you try to create a riskless institution, you will frustrate clients, and you will not be able to deliver what they need. If you try to be everything to everyone, you can put the institution and the client base at risk. The objective is the right equilibrium: deliver strong services while safeguarding the bank and protecting client information.

As a commercial bank, we operate in a highly regulated environment, and those rules exist to protect the institution and the customer. The way we make the equilibrium work is by hiring the right talent and keeping a clear line of sight to both the client outcome and the risk profile.

What role does IFB play in supporting Latin American entrepreneurs and individuals in Miami and South Florida?

It begins with our bankers. We have people who understand these communities and the country-by-country differences that matter. We start with an open door, and we aim to make clients feel at home in the U.S. banking system.

We provide foreign nationals and Latin American entrepreneurs access to U.S. dollar-deposit accounts and commercial banking services that support their goals. That can include financing for investments in the United States, whether residential lending, construction, or other commercial opportunities. We also guide clients through the process, explain what is possible, and help them navigate how banking works here.

If we cannot do something, we try to point clients in the right direction and be a resource. The standard we hold ourselves to is to understand what the client is trying to achieve, then bring the best solution we can within the framework we operate in.

How does the bank stay ahead of compliance challenges such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC)?

It starts with people and with a team mindset. Onboarding international accounts carries a higher risk profile, and not every institution is prepared to do it well. We invest in hiring talent in compliance and risk who understand what international onboarding requires, and we also hire bankers who understand the rules and how to work within them.

Experience matters. When close to half of your deposit base is international, you need to understand what you are doing. That includes understanding how risks vary by country and staying aware of what is happening in those environments. KYC is not a box to check. We work to understand what a client does, how they do it, and the legitimacy of the business, in context.

We also stay vigilant. Banking is a target for fraud, so we pay close attention to referrals, how a relationship came to the bank, and what the underlying story is. If we cannot understand a situation, we may not be the right bank for it. But we will take the time to try to understand before making that determination.

What is IFB’s defining value proposition?

We are a concierge, boutique organization focused on service and on understanding the client. People ask what we specialize in, whether it is a certain asset class or a particular kind of account holder. No, we specialize in relationships, and that lens shapes how we serve clients.

Clients want powerful technology that lets them move money from point A to point B efficiently. But they also want to know that if something fails, they can call or email and immediately reach a human being, not a call center. The differentiator is being proactive, knowing the client, and having a banker who is accountable for solving the issue.

Relationship banking is at the heart of community banking, and it is at the heart of IFB. If clients think about a bank, we want them to think about us, and about the person they trust here. Human connectivity, combined with modern digital capability, is what drives long-term success.