Being a bank branch manager is a lot like being the conductor of an orchestra.
That's according to Lolita Peroza, who manages one of the Doral, Florida, branches of Amerant Bank. In an orchestra, the musicians are experts at playing their musical instruments on their own. But the conductor is responsible for directing each of the musicians to make music together.
"The same goes for a branch manager," Peroza said. "Each team member is an expert in their functions and responsibilities, and the branch manager is responsible for ensuring that everyone works together as a synchronized team."
Peroza was hired by Amerant, the largest community bank headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, and the main subsidiary of Amerant Bancorp, in 2003.
But her journey to Amerant was far from typical.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Peroza obtained a bachelor's degree in business administration from La Universidad Central de Venezuela. In 1993, she was hired as a manager at Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela, a Venezuelan state-run internet and telephone service provider, and worked there for five years.
Following her time at C.A.N.T.V, Peroza joined Hay Group & Asociados Consultores as an information consultant, where she leveraged her expertise to provide insights and strategic guidance to clients.
Then came the big move.
In 1998, Peroza decided to relocate to the United States to grow professionally, to improve her English as a second language — Spanish is her first — and to continue her education by pursuing advanced studies in finance.
"One of my biggest challenges was leaving family and friends back in Venezuela," she said in an interview. "I was always used to having my family around me almost all the time, and having distanced myself from them was difficult at first. Not having my family close gave me a feeling of emptiness that I later filled with friends."
Her first stop in the states was Virginia, where she studied English and later pursued a major in finance. In 2002, she moved to Miami, and a few months later was hired by Amerant Bank as a junior personal business officer.
Since then, she has risen through the ranks and was promoted to her current role as the market manager of the Doral banking center in 2021. In that "conductor's" role, Peroza manages the day-to-day operational activities of the banking center, while also overseeing a team of four employees.
Banks have been
Diana Cisneros, regional sales manager and Peroza's manager, said Peroza is responsible, reliable and the customer's biggest advocate. She makes all her decisions with the customer's best interest at heart, and that makes her a trusted advisor to all of the customers who seek her guidance, she said.
"Lolita leads by example and models the behaviors she seeks in her team," Cisneros said. "She enjoys developing her team members and she prioritizes dedicating time to educate her team to perform at a high level of excellence. She demonstrates that giving is better than receiving, as she is always looking for additional opportunities to give back to the community."
When she's not at the bank, Peroza works with the less fortunate by volunteering with
Through Amerant Bank's involvement with the program, she has had the opportunity to participate in cooking and distributing food, providing nourishment and support to the less fortunate.
"It gives me great satisfaction to help people in need, especially those who, due to life circumstances, are not sure what, how or when they will be able to have a good meal and to be treated with respect and dignity. It is a beautiful cause, and I feel proud to belong to an organization like Amerant Bank that participates in this great cause," Peroza said.
She also participates in business development activities with the
Additionally, she dedicates her time to community events such as
So what's next for her?
In the years to come, Peroza said she would like to continue developing her career within the bank.
"I would like to assume positions that allow me to not only transfer my knowledge to other teammates but also allow me to make strategic decisions and direct large income-generating functional units for Amerant Bank," she said.
