Alfonso Macedo, President & CEO, Ocean Bank

Invest: sat down with Alfonso Macedo, president and CEO of Ocean Bank, to discuss the forces shaping banking in South Florida, from rate pressure and competition to technology, small-business growth, and community investment. “We are not replacing people with robots,” Macedo said, underscoring Ocean Bank’s focus on pairing digital tools with high-touch relationship banking.

When you reflect on this past year, what is your take on what trends and shifts are really shaping your decision-making at Ocean Bank within the region?

2025 was a fantastic year for us. We closed at slightly more than $7.4 billion in total assets, a record for the bank. We had $65.5 million in net income after taxes, and to make that amount in the same year you grow is tremendous.

A major driver has been the influx of people coming to Florida, which I call domestic immigration. We’ve been able to deepen relationships with existing customers and bring on new customers.

Competition is active, but the fundamentals here are strong. What affects us most is what affects every bank: interest rates. We are a commercial real estate bank with expertise in construction lending and lines of credit, so our pricing and margin are closely tied to the Federal Reserve. Every move up or down affects our margin. When rates decline, it puts pressure on margin because assets reprice faster than liabilities, and pricing in the market gets more competitive as new players chase growth.

Even with that pressure, we earned almost $6 million more than the prior year, and that’s because we grew the business and stayed disciplined. Our loan portfolio is $6 billion, and past due over 30 days is less than 0.01%. That reflects careful underwriting and a healthy local market. South Florida is a great place to do business, and we’re seeing the benefits.

With growth and consolidation in banking and new competitors moving into the market, what’s the secret sauce for retaining clients and winning new ones?

It’s hard work and servicing clients better than anybody else.

We build personal relationships. Every customer gets a dedicated account officer managing the relationship, and that approach works because it’s matched to the customer. The banker supporting sophisticated builders is not the same person supporting a retail customer in a branch. Everyone has the right level of expertise.

We also benefit from being local. Decisions are made here in Florida, which gives us speed, flexibility, and accountability. Clients can reach decision-makers quickly, and we can structure solutions around real-world timelines, whether it’s a construction schedule or a working-capital need. We can do large, complex deals and still deliver personalized service. We’re not so big that customers become a number, and we’re not so small that we can’t finance significant projects, including large developments, when the opportunity makes sense.

We’re seeing digital transformation everywhere, and AI has been a major theme. How are you incorporating technology while maintaining a high-touch, personalized experience?

We got serious about digital transformation in 2020 with a multi-year plan, and it continues today. The customer stays at the center of every decision.

One example coming later this year is Ocean360, a single page where customers can see their entire relationship with the bank in one place, including accounts, loans, and other services. AI will be integrated to provide helpful recommendations and support decision-making.

But we do not view AI as a replacement for personal interaction. Customers who want speed and self-service will have digital options, but we do not force anyone into a chatbot. We are not replacing people with robots. The goal is to give our bankers better tools so they can respond faster and serve customers better.

What strategies do you have to continue supporting local entrepreneurs, and how does that contribute to regional economic growth?

Miami is a city of entrepreneurs, and we’ve been committed to small businesses since the beginning. Many of our largest clients started as small businesses with us, and in many cases, we’ve served second and third generations.

We’re also expanding our small-business offerings. We plan to promote SBA programs more aggressively, including 7(a) and 504 loans. We’ve grown in that area, and we’re going to keep growing. Supporting small businesses supports job creation, investment, and the overall strength of the local economy.

With your experience in commercial real estate, where are you seeing the biggest opportunities for 2026? Are there specific sectors where you expect the most growth?

We’re seeing activity across the board. Corporate moves into South Florida continue to drive demand and ripple into hospitality, retail, and housing.

Commercial real estate remains active. Industrial is strong. Residential is still moving across price points, and rentals remain in demand. Office has improved as well, with more buildings filling up.

Strategically, we’re staying focused on commercial real estate because it’s our expertise, built over 44 years. Within that, we plan to be more aggressive in owner-occupied commercial real estate so business owners can own the place where they work.

We also see growth in C&I lending locally, and we want to expand factoring. Factoring is a good solution for businesses that sell to strong customers but aren’t ready for traditional lending yet. It helps convert invoices into working capital.

We also expect to grow our consumer residential lending with new programs designed to expand access and support homeownership.

What programs or partnerships do you have in place to support education and financial literacy across the community?

Education is one of our core pillars. Our founders believed deeply in it, and that commitment remains.

We have long-standing partnerships with Florida International University. The FIU Convocation Center has our name, and the auditorium in the School of Business has carried our name for more than 20 years. I also serve on the dean’s council for the School of Business.

We are also deeply involved with the Education Fund and have supported it for decades.

Beyond education, we focus on direct community giving, partnering with organizations that address local needs, and we also prioritize ocean conservation. Initiatives like Blue Scholars engage students in stewardship and research, and even our debit card uses ocean-bound recycled materials as a practical sustainability effort.

As we look ahead over the next two to three years, what are your top priorities for Ocean Bank and your overall outlook?

The outlook is good. Florida remains strong and continues to attract domestic immigration. We are proud to be a Florida bank, and we plan to remain a Florida bank.

We are expanding within Florida. We opened in Orlando and West Palm Beach, and both markets have responded well. We’re also continuing to invest in Miami, with our next branch planned for Doral.

We will keep serving international markets, especially Latin America, from Florida. We’ve invested heavily in controls and compliance, including a strong BSA and anti-money laundering program. Last year, we received a FinCEN Director’s Award for that work, which reinforces our ability to serve international clients responsibly and at a high standard.