Not wanting to live in his father’s shadow in his native Caracas, Venezuela, Miguel A. Zaldivar Jr. accepted a position at a Miami law firm, which required him to go back to law school to earn a US law degree. Simultaneously, he struggled to build a client base, perfect his English-speaking skills, and prepare for the birth of his first child with his wife.
After 20 years of working at large banks, Raul Valdes-Fauli decided to try something new. Now president and CEO of a boutique financial institution, Professional Bank, he knows he made the right choice. “I’m having fun getting out of bed and coming in to the bank every day for the first time in too long,” he says.


















