Raul Valdes-Fauli Elected Chairman​ of Miami Finance Forum

MIAMI - Feb. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- The Miami Finance Forum (MFF) is pleased to announce the election of Raul Valdes-Fauli, President and CEO of Professional Bank, as Chairman of the Board.

“The Miami Finance Forum is South Florida’s premier professional development and networking organization for the financial services industry and I am honored to lead this dynamic institution into the future,” said Raul Valdes-Fauli. “The MFF is at the confluence of knowledge and opportunity and the end result is deals getting done, furthering Miami as a serious, global financial hub.”

Founded in 2006, The Miami Finance Forum (MFF) is a not-for-profit organization comprised of executives from the worlds of investment management, banking, capital markets, private equity, venture capital, legal services, accounting and related fields. The MFF hosts educational events and best-practices seminars, featuring financial industry leaders from South Florida and beyond. The organization currently has close to 200 individual and corporate members.

“The steady growth of the Miami Finance Forum reflects the expansion and growing sophistication of the financial industry of South Florida,” said outgoing Chairman Carlos Deupi.  “More and more hedge funds, private equity and venture firms are choosing to set up shop in South Florida.  The Miami Finance Forum is their natural home.”

Valdes-Fauli replaces Carlos Deupi, Brilla Group, who was at the helm for four years and will continue to participate in the MFF leadership as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. “We are all in Carlos’ debt,” added Raul Valdes-Fauli. “He built the Miami Finance Forum through tireless work, endless enthusiasm, and a great network. I have big shoes to fill.”

Other members of the MFF Executive team are as follows:

·      Vice Chairwoman - Julie Neitzel, a Partner at WE Family Offices
·       President – Nick Ferber, Managing Partner, Sanford Barrows Group, LLC
·       Chief Development Officer – Gregory M. Santín, Vice President, Commercial Real Estate, BankUnited, N.A.
·       CFO/Treasurer – JP Trouillot, Partner, KPMG LLP
·       Vice President – Amelia Balonek, Private Wealth Management, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
·       Chairman, Advisory Board – Jim Varnadoe, Managing Director, KVR Trade Finance

“With such a dynamic and committed board, we are guaranteed to have a banner year in 2015,” said Elena Djakonova, MFF’s Executive Director. The MFF’s next event Mapping Miami’s Financial Future, scheduled for February 4 at the Conrad Hotel, will feature an A-list lineup of speakers from the venture capital community and media, including Manny Medina, CEO of Medina Capital, as keynote speaker.

Established in 2006, the Miami Finance Forum is South Florida’s premier professional development and networking organization for the financial services industry. The organization is dedicated to providing a network for South Florida’s finance professionals to meet and interact in the community. Other goals include enhancing the knowledge base and professional practices of its members, as well as to create exclusive networking opportunities for professional growth and career development. For more information on events and membership, visit www.miamifinanceforum.com.