Event Description:
An outlook on banking for 2023, and a look back at Florida banking from the perspective from Alex Sanchez.
Alejandro “Alex” Sanchez
President and Chief Executive Officer
Alex serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Bankers Association (FBA). Founded in 1888, and located in Tallahassee, the FBA is the leading voice for Florida’s banking industry. Alex’s responsibilities include representing and advocating for Florida’s banking industry before all legislative and regulatory bodies in Tallahassee and in Washington.
Before joining the FBA, Alex was an attorney at Sinclair Louis, a Miami based law firm, specializing in business law; Consolidated Bank, Assistant General Counsel; and the Florida Department of Commerce, General Counsel. From 1989 to 1993, Alex served as Senior Corporate Attorney for GTE Information Services in Tampa.
In August of 2019, Alex was appointed to the Advisory Board of Directors to the EXIM Bank based in Washington DC. EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to overseas purchasers of U.S. goods and services. A robust EXIM can level the global playing field for U.S. exporters when they compete against foreign companies that receive support from their governments. EXIM also contributes to U.S. economic growth by helping to create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. In recent years, 90 percent of the total number of the agency’s authorizations has directly supported small businesses.
From 1999-2003, Alex served on the Board of IMSG, a Publicly traded subsidiary of Bankers Insurance Group of St Petersburg, Florida. (“Bankers”) Bankers is a privately held corporation and is Florida’s largest based insurance company offering a variety of financial services products, and is licensed to do business nationwide.
In early 2002, President George W. Bush nominated Alex, as one of the three Presidential appointees on the five people Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (“the Board”). Appointment to this Board includes clearance after a four-month extensive F.B.I. background check.
On November 19, 2002, the United States Senate officially confirmed Alex to serve on the Board. The Thrift Savings Plan (“TSP”) contains over $500 billion on behalf of nearly four million government and military personnel. In the average month, over $1.5 billion is contributed to the Plan. The Plan is a tax-differed defined contribution plan established as one of the three parts of the federal employees’ system.
The Board operates the plan and manages the investments of the thrift savings fund solely for the benefit of the participants.The Board meets monthly and keeps accounts and makes loans to the participants. In April of 2007, President Bush nominated Alex to serve a second four-year term to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.
In 2009, President Barack Obama asked Alex to continue serving on the TSP Board. In August of 2011, Alex resigned from the Board and served for his last Board meeting until November of 2011.
In August 2006, Governor Jeb Bush nominated Alex to the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission. Alex served until April 2007.
In October of 2007, Alex began serving on the Board of Directors of Bankers Insurance Group. Alex served on the Compliance, Audit and Claims committees. Alex resigned from the Board in August of 2011.
Alex received a B.S., Cum Laude, from Troy State University in 1981 and a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law, in 1983. He is a military veteran having served in the U.S. Air Force for almost 5 years, receiving an honorable discharge in 1981.
He is a graduate of Class XIV of the Florida Chamber’s Leadership Florida Program and is a board member of Florida Tax Watch, a statewide organization.
Alex appeared as a regular guest on CNBC’s Closing Bell show from 2009 to 2016. The last six years he has been a regular guest on Mornings with Maria hosted by Maria Bartiromo, and other Fox Business News Network shows.
Alex has two daughters, Cristina and Carolina and is married to Patsy Sanchez.
Platinum Sponsor: Avila Law
Website: https://avilalaw.com/
Silver Sponsor: First National Bank of South Miami
Website: First National Bank of South Miami