Alex Sueiro, CPA, CFF, CrFA | Partner

PAAST, P.L.

Mr. Alex Sueiro is a founding member of the public accounting firm, PAAST, P.L. He has over 25 years of experience providing assurance, business consulting, forensic accounting and litigation support services to a diverse client base in a variety of industries, including automotive, banking, distribution, financial services, manufacturing, nonprofit, and wholesale industries.

Mr. Sueiro specializes in providing attestation services to financial institutions. He has managed a variety of engagements, including loan portfolio reviews, bank-wide risk assessments, Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering audits, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act audits, compliance audits, and information technology audits. In addition, he has experience testing beta versions of bank software programs. He also manages Bank Secrecy Act Model Validations, Risk Assessments and Bank Secrecy Act Look-back projects.

Mr. Sueiro is an adjunct accounting professor at Florida International University (FIU). Regarded as an expert in his field, he is frequently invited to speak to certified public accountants (CPA) and banking professionals on topics such as external and internal audits, as well as other operational reviews.

Prior to co-founding the firm, Sueiro was a senior manager at a regional accounting firm, where he was in charge of the company’s financial institution practice. His responsibilities included managing and reviewing internal, external, and compliance audits.

Bert Lopez, CPA

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Grove Bank & Trust

Mr. Bert Lopez oversees the financial, treasury, accounting and operations aspects of the company including capital planning, asset liability management, investments, liquidity, financial planning and analysis, management and regulatory reporting, taxed, loan and deposit operations and investor communications.  Mr. Lopez is a senior executive with over 30 years of expertise in streamlining business processes, controlling expenses, enhancing revenue, and balance sheet management. He has held several CFO positions in both public and private companies, including CFO of Barnett Bank of South Florida, U.S. Century Bank, Bank United and various real estate and international sales companies. He began his career in public accounting with an international accounting firm. Mr. Lopez is a licensed CPA, received his Master of Business Administration and Bachelors from the University of Miami, and is a member on the President’s Council of his alma mater.

Jose Marina

Executive Vice President/Finance Executive/Chief Financial Officer

City National Bank 

Jose Marina has served as City National Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since June 2019. Mr. Marina leads the Bank’s Accounting, Finance, Asset Liability and Treasury Management functions where he is responsible for liquidity management, interest rate risk, expense control, financial reporting, ensuring conformance with U.S. GAAP, and serves as a liaison between the Bank and its auditors. Mr. Marina also serves and participates in various Board & management level committees.

Mr. Marina joined City National Bank in June 2018 through the Bank’s acquisition of TotalBank, where he served as the Chief Financial Officer since 2009. Upon his arrival to City National Bank, he assumed the role of EVP/Director of Financial Planning and Analysis and fulfilled that role until his promotion to Chief Financial Officer one year later.

While serving as TotalBank’s Chief Financial Officer and having very similar responsibilities, Mr. Marina also served on TotalBank’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee and as Chairman of the Asset Liability Committee of the Board.

Mr. Marina also served as TotalBank’s Senior Vice President and Controller from 2003 to 2009, heading the Bank’s accounting and finance functions. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. Marina worked in public accounting as an Audit Manager in a Coral Gables based CPA firm where he led and managed independent financial statement audits in various industries as well as outsourced internal audits for the firm’s South Florida banking clients.

Mr. Marina is a CPA and obtained both Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in Accounting from Florida International University.

Charles R. White

Managing Director, Fixed Income Capital Markets

Financial Institutions Group

Stifel Financial

Mr. Charles R. White is a Managing Director in the Fixed Income Capital Markets Division of Stifel Financial, a position held since 1998 having been a Senior Executive at Sterne Agee & Leach Inc., prior to its merger with Stifel in mid-2015. In banking since joining Citigroup in 1982, Mr. White has had just over 40 years in banking at Citi, 2 regional banks, and managing the bank-focused practice at a privately held investment banking firm, Stern, Agee and Leach. He has experience as a bank director of just over 24 years, first at a National Bank, then at a State Bank with operations across the Southeastern US. A member of ALCO and Executive Committees of these boards, Mr. White has extensive experience in dealing with both the regulators and the risk management processes in both the OCC and FDIC environments. At Sterne Agee, he served as both Chairman of the Risk Management Committee and a member of the Board of Directors, as well as head of the Fixed Income Division and post-merger, served as Chairman of the Shareholder Advisory Group.

Eric Wimbush

Assistant Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager

Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

Mr. Eric Wimbush has worked for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta as a Senior Relationship Manager for a total of 17+ years covering financial institutions in Florida (his current territory), Georgia, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. He joined the Bank in 2002 from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and left for a four-year period in 2014. During this time, he worked as a Correspondent and Investment Banker at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey covering financial institutions in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region and as a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones Investments.

In his role at the Bank, Mr. Wimbush provides comprehensive balance sheet management strategies to 140+ shareholders in the Florida market. By working directly with Executive Management using a combination of onsite meetings, strategic dialogue and educational sessions, Mr. Wimbush is able to provide insight into the best uses of the products and services offered by the Bank. He is able to develop real-world, creative solutions that allow his shareholders to better serve the various lending needs of their communities.

In additional to his extensive background in the Financial Services Industry, his educational background includes a Bachelors degree from Wofford College, a Masters degree from Georgia State University, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Designation and several securities and insurance licenses.

Sonia Canessa-Gonzalez

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

International Finance Bank

Mrs. Sonia Canessa-Gonzalez is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at International Finance Bank, where she 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 the enhancement of internal controls, system conversions, and process overhauls, always striving for improved financial results.

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.

Mrs. Canessa-Gonzalez received her undergraduate degree in Economics from Universidad de Buenos Aires and a Master of Accounting from Florida International University.