Future of Community Banking: Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust

Unlocking international opportunities: Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust’s strategic partnership with Acceleron

Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust, founded in January 2005, emerged from the vision of Founder and CEO Michael Rose to fill a gap in the marketplace. The idea of an integrated one-stop shop for financial services resonated with Rose, who had always aspired to create an entrepreneurial venture. This led to the formation of Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust, a boutique institution that quickly carved out a niche by focusing on high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, particularly those owning small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

As Rose recounted, "We completely underestimated how disenfranchised these persons were with their existing institutions. They weren’t being very well served. That was the population to which we quickly gravitated, because they had more activities and services that we could offer, making the relationship and the activity more valuable."

The bank’s unique craftsman offices and strategy led to the bank becoming known colloquially by some observers as the "billionaire’s bank" within just six months of its inception—a moniker that reflected its growing reputation and client base.

International payments for business opportunity

As the banking environment evolved, so did the needs of Metropolitan Capital’s clientele. Recognizing the increasing demand for international connectivity and the opportunities it presented, Rose and his team began to explore ways to enhance their international payments capabilities. This was particularly important given the growing global nature of their clients' businesses. He talks about the “extraordinary opportunity” here:

This insight led Metropolitan Capital to explore partnerships that could enhance its ability to process international payments more efficiently, reliably, and with greater flexibility. The bank’s traditional correspondent banking relationships were no longer sufficient, and a more robust solution was needed to meet the high standards of service for which the bank was known.

Working with Acceleron’s correspondent banking marketplace

The partnership with Acceleron was born out of this need to improve international payment services. Rose says the bank’s existing correspondent banking relationships were "ephemeral" and "arbitrary." The primary issue was that these relationships were not responsive enough and did not align with the bank's commitment to client service.

"We were tired of feeling dependent upon correspondent banks that weren’t thinking about what would make the client's life easier. We wanted to build solutions that would not only clearly satisfy regulatory requirements, but also take care of the client," Rose explained.

One of the key advantages of working with Acceleron was the user-friendly UI platform they provided, which Rose noted was "much better than what we were getting through our correspondent relationships." In addition to this, Acceleron introduced Metropolitan Capital to more robust FX partners, further enhancing their service offerings. 

"Acceleron has been an outstanding partner," Rose said. “We're now more open to and have been referred to more clients and relationships that are international in nature."

He talks more about the partnership and the results here:

Expanding new clientele with international needs

Rose says the partnership with Acceleron has opened up new avenues for growth by enabling the bank to confidently pursue international clientele. 

Rose highlighted this shift in their strategy: “Now that we have this capability, we're more comfortable taking on international clients that are dealing with multiple currencies. Over time, I think that non-USD-denominated transactions will increase.” 

This newfound confidence has allowed the bank to engage with clients and relationships that were previously out of reach, particularly those with significant international components. The potential for increased volume and velocity of transactions has created substantial upside opportunities, Rose says.

Strengthening compliance

To successfully navigate these international opportunities, Metropolitan Capital has also enhanced its compliance capabilities. The bank has formed new partnerships with compliance-as-a-service providers to bolster its transaction monitoring, KYC, and AML efforts. These external partnerships, combined with an expanded internal compliance team and fraud monitoring group within the treasury solutions team, have strengthened the bank’s ability to manage increased transaction volumes while maintaining rigorous oversight.

Future community banking outlook

Looking ahead, Metropolitan Capital is poised to continue its growth and evolution in the increasingly complex world of international finance. Rose envisions a future where the bank will facilitate a significant volume of global transactions, leveraging both traditional and digital assets.

"Our model is relatively robust," Rose concluded. "We’re not perfect, but we’ve been able to weather the storms because we’re always trying to look ahead, and prepare for whatever is next. The partnership with Acceleron is a key part of our international strategy, and we’re excited about the opportunities it will bring in the future.”

Read the profile on Michael Rose:

 

Community Banking Champions: Michael Rose

Acceleron builds cutting-edge software that allows community banks and credit unions to conduct international payment transactions profitably through a foreign exchange (FX) marketplace. Serving over 160 institutions and facilitating more than $1 billion in international payments annually, Acceleron helps small banks generate non-interest income and compete more effectively with high-fee big banks. Our solutions integrate seamlessly with Fiserv, ensuring quick implementation and smooth operation. 

Explore how Acceleron's FX Marketplace can enhance your bank's resilience and profitability. Contact us to schedule a meeting.