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§ Private Profile · Orlando, FL, USA
Regional bank offering traditional banking services, deposits, and loans for retail and commercial customers in Florida.
Key people at CNLBank.
CNLBank was a regional commercial and retail bank that provided standard financial services, customer deposits, and lending products based in Orlando, Florida. Operating as a strategic subsidiary of CNL Financial Group, which managed approximately $25 billion to $26 billion in total assets under management, the institution served individual and corporate clients throughout the state from its headquarters in the Citrus Center. The financial entity was originally formed following the strategic acquisition and subsequent rebranding of Alliance Bankshares. In 2015, the banking organization was fully acquired and integrated into Valley National Bank, concluding its independent regional banking operations. The organization was established under the CNLBank brand sometime prior to 2015 by founder James Seneff, who acquired a controlling stake to expand his financial services footprint alongside key executives including former bank chief financial officer Chirag Bhavsar.
CNLBank was a regional bank headquartered in Orlando, Florida, acquired and renamed by CNL Financial Group founder James Seneff from Alliance Bankshares. It operated as a commercial bank focused on general banking and trust activities, primarily serving business and individual clients through its downtown Orlando headquarters in the Citrus Center.[1] The bank was sold to Valley National Bancorp in 2015, marking the end of its independent operations as part of CNL's broader pivot away from banking toward alternative investments and real estate.[1][9]
CNL Financial Group, CNLBank's parent, is a private investment management firm with a mission centered on the "Democratization of Investing," providing alternative investment options in real estate, private companies, and healthcare properties to broker-dealers and institutional investors. Its investment philosophy emphasizes research-driven strategies, long-term growth, and relationships over transactions, with key sectors including commercial real estate (via REITs), seniors housing/healthcare, and middle-market private equity through vehicles like CNL Strategic Capital. While not a direct player in the startup ecosystem, CNL influences it indirectly by acquiring and growing durable U.S. private companies, having managed over $34 billion in assets since inception.[2][3][7]
CNL Financial Group originated in 1973 when James M. Seneff, Jr. borrowed $5,000 from his father to purchase undervalued real estate in downtown Orlando at under $3 per square foot, laying the foundation for what became a major private investment firm.[2] Seneff, inducted into the Horatio Alger Association in 2010, expanded CNL into commercial real estate management, REITs, and private investments, redeveloping Orlando's downtown including the CNL Tower.[1] By 2013, it ranked as Florida's 33rd largest private company with ~$25 billion in assets.[1]
In a key diversification move, Seneff acquired a controlling stake in Alliance Bankshares, renaming it CNLBank and basing it in the Citrus Center—the site's first modern skyscraper from 1971.[1] This positioned CNLBank as CNL's banking arm amid growth in securities and alternative investments. However, Valley National Bancorp acquired CNLBank in 2015, integrating it into its $19 billion asset portfolio and closing the chapter on CNL's banking venture.[1][9]
CNLBank itself played a minimal direct role in tech, functioning as a traditional commercial bank amid Orlando's real estate boom rather than fintech innovation.[1] Its parent, CNL Financial Group, rides trends in alternative investments and private equity, capitalizing on post-2008 demand for non-public market returns amid low interest rates and retail investor appetite for diversification.[2][4] Timing was favorable in the early 2010s, as CNL launched vehicles like CNL Properties Trust (2011) and CNL Strategic Capital for durable private companies, aligning with the rise of middle-market buyouts.[1][7]
Market forces like aging demographics boosted CNL's healthcare REITs, while its broker-dealer network (CNL Securities) democratized access to illiquid assets.[3][4] CNL influences the ecosystem by providing capital to private firms and real estate developers, indirectly supporting tech-adjacent growth in Orlando's evolving economy, though its core remains real estate and alternatives over pure tech startups.
CNLBank's story ended with its 2015 acquisition, but it exemplified CNL Financial Group's bold forays into banking before refocusing on high-conviction alternatives like private equity and healthcare real estate.[1][9] Looking ahead, CNL will likely expand "Democratization of Investing" amid rising demand for yield in volatile public markets, with trends like demographic shifts favoring seniors housing and private credit growth shaping its path.[2][3] Its influence may evolve through scaled platforms like CNL Strategic Capital, compounding value for institutional partners while sustaining Orlando's real estate legacy—echoing Seneff's visionary start from a modest loan to a $34 billion powerhouse.[2]
Key people at CNLBank.
