What’s your name, tell us a little about yourself…

Hi there… My name is Abraham Perez Serra! I was born in Cuba, I migrated to the United States in 2015 and now I live in Spring Hill, Florida close to most of my family and friends. The weather in Florida is wonderful, unless we are in the path of a hurricane, but no state escapes natural events.

What do you do at Climate First Bank?

I’m an AVP Network Engineer at Climate First Bank. It’s a pretty broad role! I oversee the design, implementation, security and maintenance of network and systems solutions.  

A normal day for me involves making sure that the Climate First Bank team get the best service and experience when working from challenging environments like home which, (in spite of the convenience of working from the comfort of one own home) can sometimes bring up mishaps like communication, connectivity, security.  

I like to think of my team as the oil that keeps the Climate First Bank team at full steam when they do the banking activities that our communities need.

Why do you do what you do?

I joined Climate First Bank in April 2021. I was drawn to the experienced leadership, and the feeling that I could grow with the business by helping the bank to achieve its goals. I haven’t been disappointed; I feel that I’ve been a humble part of the bank’s incredible growth.  

I have always enjoyed solving problems and ‘jigsawing’ pieces together to produce something that helps others and makes their lives easier. Every day I put this into practice, and I get satisfaction out of providing solutions for my colleagues.  

Climate First Bank also appealed to be because of their mission and vision for equality, diversity and sustainable banking. They are driven by their ambition to make the world a better place, and I wanted to be a part of that.  

What do you do for fun?

I love to be in the great outdoors! You’ll find me out running when I’m not working. I find it’s a great way of keeping physically fit, mentally calming and a good outlet for stress.  

I also started my own urban garden since I became a homeowner. I grow some fruit trees, sweet pepper, habanero pepper, avocado and mango and I plan to diversify my crops when the winter passes to vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

What’s the next thing you want to tick off your bucket list?

So many things, I can’t pick one! My contribution to Climate First Bank’s vision and future is top of my list right now 😊

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