News Release

Honolulu, October 28, 2025 - First Hawaiian Bank Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Harrison announced the advancement of four individuals.

Greg M. Kagawa, Senior Vice President, Bank Properties Division. Greg M. Kagawa has been promoted to senior vice president of First Hawaiian Bank’s Bank Properties Division. He is responsible for the administration and negotiation of leases of bank-related facilities and properties, management reporting, budget tracking, administrative projects, and property acquisition and sales. He has more than two decades of banking experience. A graduate of Waiakea High School, Kagawa earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of San Francisco and his Master of Accounting from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He also is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School. A native of Hilo, Hawaii, Kagawa currently resides in Makiki.

Sonja P.H. Hirasuna, Senior Vice President, Division Manager, and Assistant Controller; Financial Reporting Planning and Analysis Division. Sonja P.H. Hirasuna has been promoted to senior vice president, division manager, and assistant controller of First Hawaiian Bank’s Financial Reporting Planning and Analysis Division. She is responsible for managing the Financial Reporting, Planning and Analysis division, overseeing the bank’s budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting processes. Hirasuna has 21 years of experience in accounting, 14 of which was in financial services. A graduate of Punahou School, Hirasuna earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Accounting from Boston College. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sacred Hearts Academy and is the Board Secretary. A native of Honolulu, Hirasuna currently resides in Manoa.

James C. Connell, Vice President, Lead Software Engineer and Team Leader, Salesforce Engineering Division. James C. Connell has been promoted to vice president, lead software engineer and team leader of First Hawaiian Bank’s Salesforce Engineering Division. He is responsible for leading the technical implementation of Salesforce at the bank. He has 12 years of experience in software engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Central Florida and his Master of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology. A native of Florida, Connell currently resides in Kakaako.

Leesa Kim, Vice President and Banking Center Manager, University Banking Center. Leesa Kim has been promoted to vice president and banking center manager of First Hawaiian Bank’s University Banking Center. She oversees the daily operations of the branch, leading and developing her team to ensure both sales and service goals are met. She also is responsible for growing deposits and loans, maintaining strong customer relationships, ensuring compliance and risk management, and representing the bank in the community while fostering a culture of service excellence. Kim has nearly three decades of banking experience. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Travel Industry Management from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.