Daniel Pische

Senior Vice President, First American Bank

June 2019

Daniel Pische started his banking career in 2005 at First American Bank in Chicago, eventually specializing in trade lending. He came to Florida in 2016, following First American’s acquisition of the Bank of Coral Gables. He currently oversees the bank’s trade finance programs and the Florida lending team from the bank’s Florida HQ on Alhambra Circle. Working with the Exim Bank and SBA programs, he was asked to testify before the Senate earlier this year, after he explained privately to Senators Marco Rubio (FL) and Tammy Duckworth (IL) that federal programs had to focus more on small exporters.

Latest Achievement

Pische was appointed in March to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Trade Finance Advisory Council (TFAC), making First American Bank the first privately held commercial bank to have a representative on the council. The TFAC reports directly to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. His bank also recently acquired Continental National Bank, Miami’s first Cuban American-owned bank.

What He Says

“I was honored by the opportunity to participate, especially with my background working with small businesses,” he says of the TFAC appointment. “A lot of the people on the board are from the largest banks in the world. But the small and medium sized businesses have different needs than the Boeings and Caterpillars.” Pische says that his bank’s acquisition of Coral Gables Bank in 2016 was a logical step. “Coral Gables at the time was where about half of our customers were based, so it was a natural move for us,” he says. “You really can’t escape international trade in South Florida. There is less of a reason to be here if you are not involved in international trade. You can get cheaper real estate elsewhere in the state.”