Ono to Retire from First Hawaiian Bank Posts

Raymond Ono. FHB photo.

Raymond Ono, the Vice Chairman and Chief Banking Officer of First Hawaiian Bank, will retire on July 1.

First Hawaiian Bank’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Harrison made the retirement announcement on Tuesday.

“Ray has been an exceptional leader, mentor, and friend to many of us during his 38 years with the bank.  Throughout his career, he has developed lasting community partnerships and has built deep connections with customers and our employees,” said Harrison.   “We are indebted to Ray for his dedication and years of outstanding contributions that have helped us grow to a $19 billion bank. On behalf of our First Hawaiian family, I especially want to thank Ray for his superb leadership and ability to unify our employees into one team.”

Mitchell Nishimoto is slated to assume the role of executive vice president in charge of the Retail Banking Group. Currently, Nishimoto serves as the executive vice president and chief risk officer.

Ono joined First Hawaiian in 1978 starting in the bank’s Loan Management Training program.

In his 38-year career at the bank, Ono has held leadership positions in the Business Banking, Wealth Management, and Retail Banking Groups.

Ono was promoted to vice chairman in 2007, and two years later, he was promoted to chief banking officer in 2009 and served as chief operating officer from 2012 through 2015. He also served on the bank’s Senior Management and Credit Committees.

For the last seven years, he has overseen the bank’s entire 62 retail branch network in Hawai’i, Guam, and Saipan.

“Working at First Hawaiian has been an incredible journey for me, professionally and personally.  Throughout my career, it has always been the people that mattered to me most, both customers and team members. I want to thank every one of them for being a part of my tenure at First Hawaiian,” said Ono. “I am confident that together, we have made a difference in growing the bank and in supporting our community, and I look forward to the next generation of leaders to achieve even greater success.”

Nishimoto, who has served as the bank’s chief risk officer for the past two years, had spent 28 years in the Retail Banking Group, including managing the Kapiolani and Maui Banking Regions.

He will continue to serve on the bank’s Senior Management and Credit Committees. Active in the community, Mitchell currently serves on the boards of Castle Medical Center, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i, and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai’i.

“On Ray’s recommendation, we have been working with Mitchell to ensure a smooth transition for our team members and customers as part of our succession planning,” Harrison said. “While no one can replace Ray, Mitchell is well prepared to continue our bank’s success in building relationships and serving the community.”