Bank of Hawaiʻi’s Hamano retiring after 45 years; Leadership changes announced

Bank of Hawaiʻi is making leadership changes in its Commercial Banking Division with the retirement on Jan. 13 of Vice Chair and Chief Commercial Officer Wayne Y. Hamano after 45 years of service.

Hamano joined the bank as a commercial credit analyst and went on to lead various businesses in the bank, including the Commercial Banking Group. He has been a member of Bank of Hawaiʻi’s Executive Committee since 2006.

Bank of Hawaii Chairman, President and CEO Peter Ho said: “Wayne’s depth of experience and strong ties to the community have made countless contributions to the success of our business clients over the years. He will always be a part of our Bank of Hawaiʻi ‘ohana, and we are deeply grateful for his leadership and commitment to building partnerships across the state.”

In advance of Hamano’s retirement, Bank of Hawaiʻi announces the following appointments and promotions:

Vice Chair James C. Polk has been promoted to Chief Banking Officer. With 32 years of experience in the financial services industry and more than 20 years at Bank of Hawaiʻi, Polk has held a variety of leadership roles, including overseeing the bank’s Commercial Banking Group, Retail Lending and Deposit Products and Trust Services and Bankoh Investment Services Inc. Polk is a member of the bank’s Executive Committee.

In this new role, Polk will oversee Commercial Banking, in addition to his current responsibilities of the bank’s Trust Services Group, Cash Management, Merchant Services and Corporate Facilities.

Polk currently serves on the board of directors for Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association and After-School All-Stars Hawaiʻi, and is a Trustee for Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

Polk earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program, as well as a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Guy C. Churchill and Dirk K. Yoshizawa have both been promoted to Senior Executive Vice President and Co-Lead Executives of Bank of Hawaiʻi’s Commercial Banking Group. Churchill and Yoshizawa will report to Polk, and as members of the bank’s Operating Committee, share in the responsibility of overseeing the various departments within Commercial Banking.

Churchill will continue to oversee Corporate Banking, Commercial Real Estate and Guam Commercial Banking. He also will assume expanded responsibility for Commercial Deposit Management/Financial Services and International Commercial.

Churchill joined the bank in October 2017 as executive vice president and commercial real estate lending division manager. In 2018, his role was expanded to include leading the bank’s Large Commercial Banking segment. In addition, Churchill has been instrumental in building out and leading the bank’s Sustainable Finance Group, which is focused on both renewable energy projects as well as affordable housing in Hawaiʻi and the West Pacific region.

Since 2019, Churchill has served on the Aloha United Way board of directors and is its incoming treasurer for 2022. He is also treasurer for Hawai‘i Nature Center, recently joined the board of directors for Move Oʻahu Forward, and serves on the Managing Committee of the Urban Land Institute Hawaiʻi.

Churchill earned his bachelor of science degree in leadership and organizational development from Vanderbilt University after graduating from Punahou School, and a master of business administration in finance from the University of Southern California.

Yoshizawa will continue his oversight of the bank’s four state of Hawaiʻi Commercial Banking Centers, the Fast Track Loan team, Auto Dealer Finance and Equipment Leasing. Yoshizawa will assume the added responsibility of Commercial Banking Service & Support and the Business Planning & Strategy team.

Yoshizawa joined Bank of Hawaiʻi in 1995 as a bank associate. He was promoted to senior vice president in 2012, managing the Pearlridge Commercial Banking Center. In 2018, he was appointed executive vice president.

Since 2012, he has served on the board of directors for the Friends of Waikiki Aquarium as co-chair. Yoshizawa also serves as vice chair on the board for the University Health Partners of Hawaiʻi and for the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i.

Yoshizawa earned his bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and is a Mililani High School graduate.