Everyday People, Make the World Go Round – Meet Antonio Uribe
Everyday People, Make the World Go Round – Meet Antonio Uribe
Name: Antonio Uribe
Title: President & CEO
Company: Terrabank, N. A.
Major City Where You Work: Miami, Florida
City Where You Live: Miami. Florida
Please, share your personal and cultural background with our readers.
I’m president and CEO of Terrabank, a South Florida-based community bank. I’m Hispanic-American and was born in Montreal, Canada. My childhood was split between Barranquilla, Colombia and Providence, Rhode Island. I have a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania where I majored in international relations and political science.
Please share with us a current typical day or week in your everyday personal life.
My life is pretty normal. I wake up at 6:30 a.m. each morning and take my 12-year-old daughter to school. Then I work out, go to work at Terrabank, and return home to spend time with my children.
Tell us why you do, what you do, for a living.
I began my career in banking with Citibank in New York and was able to quickly ascend the corporate ladder where I headed up the bank’s corporate and investment banking business. This led me to serve as country head and general manager in countries such as Zambia, Guatemala, and Paraguay. I also served as CEO of Citibank Colombia. After a successful 20-year career with Citibank, I moved to Miami which was a good compromise for my family and then started at Terrabank in 2006.
Tell us about the factors that shaped your career and business aspirations.
Living abroad as a child peaked my interest in traveling and experiencing different cultures. This led me into a career in banking. I wanted to be able to work in a career that helped me see the world. I joined Citibank after graduating from college and worked in several countries including Zambia, Paraguay, and Colombia.
How did you end up in your line of work? Was it accidental or were you strategic about it?
While in college, I decided that I wanted to work and live abroad so I searched for companies that could fulfill those interests. I was hired by Citibank, then the most international divisions of banks, because I was fluent in Spanish and had studied Portuguese.
Please share with us a current typical day or week in your everyday professional life.
Monitor the bank’s condition daily and meet with senior staff as needed. Make decisions. I have been behind Terrabank’s efforts in developing and deploying technology-driven solutions for clients who will allow the bank to compete in today’s increasingly demanding markets.
Share how you balance the work-life challenges…what have been the rewards.
It helps to be proactive with my schedule. I make it a point to build downtime in my calendar to keep a balance between time spent at work, personal and with family. I found that adding activities and events to a calendar helps with time efficiency and helps me recharge.
Did your ethnicity create any obstacles for you? Any advantages? How so?
Not really. The fact that I spoke Spanish and was fluent in Portuguese helped in my getting hired by Citibank and subsequently working in the countries that I did.
What advice would you have for other Latinos in the business sector trying to make it day after day?
Set a goal and go after it. Never give up.
What inspires you in your work life? What turns you off?
I am inspired by a strong work ethic and focus. Laziness and complacency are major turn offs.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Never give up!
Do you think you have ever truly “made it” in life?
Yes. Currently, I’m able to enjoy life and work as president and CEO of a wonderful bank.
If you could have dinner with any Latinx person—living or dead–who would it be? Why?
The journalist Jorge Ramos from Univision because the experiences he has had must be fascinating.
What is your favorite quote/saying? Give us your own personal quote to commemorate at LBT.
“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” ― Theodore Roosevelt , in other words – Just do it.