top of page
Victoria Guerrero

Luis de la Aguilera 2023 FACE Excellence Award Recipient

Luis de la Aguilera is President, CEO, and Director of U.S. Century Bank where he assumed leadership in 2015 directing the development and execution of the bank's strategic priorities and business operations to accelerate growth, drive profitability and deliver shareholder value. Under his leadership, the bank has grown into one of the largest community banks headquartered in Miami and one of the largest community banks in Florida with $1.9 billion in assets and a network of ten banking centers. During his tenure, U.S. Century earned a 5-star rating from BauerFinancial, the nation's leading independent bank rating firm.



He provided a glimpse of the latest actions taken by U.S. Century Bank. “There are over 33 million small businesses in the country, and Miami-Dade is one of the largest small business markets. These are the customers we serve. They want real relationships, accessibility to decision-makers who are local, and bankers who know and will support them. At U.S. Century Bank, we know our clients, their businesses, and their families. This level of relationship is invaluable for our business customers. Our bank and our brand have grown soundly over the years, and we are proud to be serving the South Florida market for the past 20 years.”

“When the market crashed in 2008 and property values went down 50-60%, many banks were significantly hurt. I arrived at U.S. Century Bank in 2016, and at the time, the largest portion of the loan portfolio was commercial real estate. Since then, we have developed several business verticals focused on diversifying our portfolio by increasing C&I loans. For example, we have a very dynamic and growing book of business in the homeowners and condominium association space. Twenty-five percent of the population of Florida lives either in a condominium or in a homeowners’ association. We see this market as having huge potential. In 2020, we expanded our Small Business Administration (SBA) lending and have been ranked as a top community bank lender in the SBA 7(a) program 2021-2022. In 2021, we launched a business line for yacht financing focused on high-net-worth individuals. These are not small boats; these are high-end yachts. We have developed the competencies to service the expectations of this market very well.”

Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TotalBank where he had been President/Chief Marketing Officer and EVP/Head of Corporate Lending. Previously, he led management and loan production services as Senior Vice President, Assistant Branch Manager and SVP/Regional Manager/Business Banking at Ocean Bank. He got his start at Republic National Bank overseeing business development and lending activities.

Mr. de la Aguilera is active in the Florida Bankers Association, serving on its Board. He also served in 2012-2015 as a Director of the South Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida and continues his association as an active program instructor. In 2014-15 he was Florida Representative for the American Banking Association's Government Relations Council.

Mr. de la Aguilera graduated from the University of Miami in 1981 with a B.A. in English and a Minor in Business Administration. He emigrated from Cuba seeking exile in the United States in 1961 along with his mother and siblings.

bottom of page