Wendy Cai-Lee

Piermont Bank Founder & CEO

Wendy Cai-Lee is the Founder and CEO of Piermont Bank, a fully chartered digital commercial bank, and the first multi-racial MDI (Minority Depository Institution) in the United States. The bank is the engine behind many successful fintechs as well as entrepreneur-led businesses in many leading industry sectors. With 30 years of banking and investment experience managing and leading Fortune 500 companies and startups, Wendy is a subject matter expert in fintech, international finance and banking. 

Under Wendy’s leadership, Piermont Bank was the first multiracial Minority Depository Institution (MDI) in the United States and the only one with a female CEO, female Board Chair, and 78 percent female Board of Directors. Today, Piermont Bank is one of only four multiracial MDIs in the U.S. Additionally, more than 50 percent of Piermont Bank's loans are extended to businesses located in low to mid-level-income communities and women and minority-owned businesses. 

Prior to building Piermont Bank, she was an Executive Vice President at East West Bank, responsible for its Commercial and Consumer Businesses in the U.S. Prior to East West, Wendy was a Managing Director at Deloitte LLP, where she managed its U.S./China cross-border M&A business. She started her banking career with JP Morgan Chase and held various management positions at both Chase and Citi. Wendy is named to Inc.'s 2024 Female Founders 250 and was an honoree of The Most Powerful Women in Banking to Watch by American Banker in 2025, 2024 and 2023.