FHB chief financial officer Al Yamada to retire

HAGÅTÑA, Guam—Al Yamada, First Hawaiian Bank vice chairman, chief financial officer, treasurer and chief administrative officer, is retiring after a 26-year career as an executive at Hawaii’s largest bank.

Yamada will be succeeded by Michael Ching, managing partner of the Hawaii Office of Ernst & Young LLP, effective June 1, 2015. Yamada will continue to serve through Ching’s transition before retiring later in the year.

Michael Ching

“Al has been a key member of our management team for a long, long time and we’ll miss him,” said Bob Harrison, chairman, president and CEO of First Hawaiian. “During Al’s tenure as CFO of First Hawaiian, he played a central role as our bank became the most profitable company in Hawaii and the state’s largest financial institution.”

“Fortunately, in Michael Ching we have found a senior finance executive with more than two decades of experience in accounting, auditing and advising banking clients in the Islands. He understands banking and he understands Hawaii. He’ll be a valuable addition to First Hawaiian and we’re glad to welcome him aboard,” Harrison added.

Yamada has had a long career as a top banking executive on the islands. He was president of International Savings & Loan Association, Ltd., from 1978 to 1986. Then from 1988 to 1997, he served as president and chief operating officer of Pioneer Federal Savings Bank. Pioneer was acquired by First Hawaiian in 1993 and continued to operate as a separate bank until 1997, when it was merged into First Hawaiian. At that time, Yamada moved over to First Hawaiian, becoming CFO.

Prior to his banking career, he was a manager and audit specialist at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in Honolulu. A native of Hilo, Yamada earned a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Ching, a native of Hawaii, earned a bachelor of science in commerce and accounting from Santa Clara University and is a CPA in Hawaii, California, Colorado and Guam.

He has worked for Ernst & Young since 1993, specializing in banking and capital markets. He was promoted to partner in 2007, becoming one of the youngest partners in Hawaii. As managing partner of the local office since 2013, he has been responsible for delivery of assurance, advisory and tax services.

Ching is active with community nonprofits, serving on the national and local boards of the American Diabetes Association and on the local boards of the Boy Scouts of America (Aloha Council), Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Hawaii Theatre.

First Hawaiian Bank (www.fhb.com) with $18.1 billion in assets is Hawaii’s oldest and largest bank. The bank operates 57 branches in Hawaii, three on Guam and two on Saipan. (FHB)