The career arc of Miguel Alban reads like a Hollywood screenplay: Peruvian immigrant to the U.S. embraces the American Dream, earns a prestigious education, works tirelessly to support his wife and children, pivots to the banking industry, and finds success.
Alban’s Childhood in Piura and His Academic Ambitions
Alban grew up in Piura, Peru, in the northwest sector of the country.
“My childhood was good,” he recalls. “I come from a very loving family with working parents and two younger brothers. I can’t say we were poor. But we had our ups and downs like everyone else.”
He grew up in a middle-class home with parents who supported his interests, including sports. In karate, for example, Alban advanced to the rank of black belt and won multiple championships on the national level. “Karate taught me discipline,” he recalls.
In high school and college, Alban played basketball. “I’m six-foot-one,” he notes. “In Peru, that’s a very tall guy.”
As a student, he considered a law career, leveraging a habit he describes as “always sticking up for other people.”
He attended the University of Piura, funding the tuition by singing lead in a band. He finished two degrees — his undergraduate and Juris Doctor (law) — in 2004, just five years after enrollment.
He also met and married a Philadelphia woman, Mary, who was in Peru teaching English. It was through her that he came to the States, feeding a childhood wanderlust. “My dream was always to travel and visit other places,” he explains.
Alban Overcomes Language Barriers to Succeed in the U.S.
He came to the U.S. with plenty of moxie: “I was going to work as a lawyer, make a lot of money and live the dream,” he remembers.
But a problem hit: He couldn’t speak, read, or write English. He quickly enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Saint Joseph’s University, Phila. The logistics weren’t easy. The closest train station was a mile from campus, which he covered on foot.
Before that Freshman year was out, the Alban family grew from two to three with a baby. “I was 23,” he remembers. “My son’s arrival caused me to mature quickly.”
To help with finances, Alban restocked a CVS drugstore’s shelves at night. He then added a second position, bagging groceries at a supermarket. He and his wife Mary had time for little more than a high-five as they passed each other in their foyer, him arriving home in the morning to care for the baby, her exiting for her workday.
Balancing Work and Education to Build a Career
Improvement came when Alban started teaching Spanish to high school students during the day and college students at night. Teaching eliminated the drugstore work.
Believing that additional education meant more opportunity, Alban augmented his schooling. He studied international law at night, completing “…the first year of my master’s degree and my first year of teaching at the same time.”
Mary urged him to network, which led to a connection at a law firm in West Chester, Pa., a Phila. suburb.
“I didn’t even have a suit,” Alban recalls. “But with my wife’s encouragement, I went to Macy’s and bought one, even though funds were tight.”
The meeting eventually paid off. Alban was offered an intern position as a law clerk. The job eventually became full-time.
From Law Clerk to Latino Banking Expert
A sailing excursion hosted by his law-firm employer had a fortuitous effect on Alban’s budding financial-services career.
Alban, inspired by the sea and the warm weather, suggested to the captain that everyone jump overboard for a quick swim. The partygoers initially balked but, egged on by the captain, they eventually took the plunge. After returning to the deck and drying off, the captain wanted to know more about Alban, who told him of his law clerk career.
“He asked me if I liked the law. And in a moment of honesty, I said no. I thought my law degree would lead me to be the good guy, the champion of the underdog. But especially as practiced in the U.S., it’s more like lawsuits and divorce and all kinds of contentious things that I didn’t go to law school for.“
“Then he asked me if I’d ever thought of banking.”
The captain then identified himself as John Featherman, CEO of the First National Bank of Chester County. Further, he offered Alban a spot on the sales team, eager to leverage his Hispanic background to meet the needs of the Latino labor force the bank served.
A week later, Alban was hired. And was wildly successful.
“I brought bank experts with me and translated as needed,” he says. “I went out on weekends; I dressed in jeans to not intimidate anyone; and I’d bring my wife and kids with me.”
A Rewarding Return to the Banking Industry
Over time, however, the position changed, especially when the bank was sold. Alban parlayed a relationship with a board member into an insurance career. From there, he also dabbled in magazine publishing and consulting.
But all this activity caused Alban to reach a compelling conclusion: “I missed banking.”
He first returned to the field with Bryn Mawr Trust, an organization that advertised in Alban’s publications. He served as Director of Multicultural banking, coaching colleagues in serving not only the Hispanic community but also those of African American, Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, and other descent.
In 2019, one more call reached his professional ear: The EVP of Customers Bank wanted him to establish and lead a national multicultural division. He started in 2020 and remains there today.
Miguel Alban’s Advice, “Be Humble”
Alban’s professional past has had its highs and lows. And perhaps it is that range that keeps him centered when reflecting on his accomplishments, the rise from a non-English-speaking immigrant, to a drug store shelf stocker, to a respected banker and diversity advocate.
“You’ve got to be humble,” he advises.
“It doesn’t matter what your grades or school are. Just be a good person. That’s what’s in your mind. It’s in your heart.
“Be honest, be giving, be helpful.”
