John K. Lee senior vice president of First Hawaiian bank will step down from the top position.
An official announcement is expected in the next two to three months.
Lee told the Journal "I’ll be retiring this year some time."
The senior management group at First Hawaiian Lee said was ideally positioned. "We have a very good team here. I’m comfortable with the situation that I’m leaving."
The two vice presidents at the bank are Laura-Lynn V. Dacanay also manager of First Hawaiian’s Maite Branch and Eduardo Untalan. Lee declined to name his successor.
Dacanay is rumored to be next in line for the senior vice presidency. She was attending the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce conference in Manila when the Journal went to press and could not be reached for comment.
The bank has three branches on Guam "" in Maite Dededo and Tamuning. As the Journal first announced the bank is building a new Tamuning branch on the site of the former Calvo’s Enterprises Inc. property (See "Marty’s and Royal Lanes building to be developed" in the March 21 2005 issue of the Journal "First Hawaiian spreads its aloha " in the May 2 2005 issue of the Journal and "First Hawaiian wants Royal Lanes Building " in the May 16 2005 issue of the Journal.).
Lee said "That’s one of the issues that’s still pending. The plans are being worked on." He said no firm date had been set for the new branch to open. "If I was to make a guess I’d say mid-summer. It’s going to be a really nice building."
Lee who will turn 68 in November said "At the end of this year I’ll have 48 years of service."
The 1998 Guam Business Executive of the Year Lee has held numerous top civic positions through the years including chairman of the Guam Chamber of Commerce American Red Cross Guam Power Authority Salvation Army Advisory Board Guam Community College Foundation Guam Visitors Bureau and Boy Scouts of America.
However he said he will not be severing contact with the bank entirely. "I’ll still be involved in some way shape or form with the bank."
The bank celebrated its 35th anniversary of doing business on Guam on April 20 2005. MBJ
