Current vice chair and chief banking officer of Bank of Hawai’i, James C. Polk, has been promoted to president, and current vice chair Matthew K.M. Emerson has been appointed chief retail banking officer.
As president of the company, Polk will continue to oversee commercial banking, merchant services, cash management and wealth management. In addition, as part of Polk’s expanded role he will also oversee retail banking, putting him in charge of all the bank’s revenue-generating businesses. Polk will continue to report directly to Ho.
“Throughout his 25-year career with Bank of Hawai’i, Jim has demonstrated a deep understanding of our business and an impressive commitment to serving our customers and community,” Peter S. Ho, who will continue to serve as chairman and CEO of the company, said. “I appreciate Jim’s exceptional leadership, vision and expertise, which will certainly guide our company toward continued growth and success.”
Polk, who has over 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, joined Bank of Hawai’i in 1999. A decade later, he joined the bank’s executive committee (fka managing committee) and has taken on a variety of leadership roles over the years, including overseeing commercial banking, consumer banking, retail lending and deposit products and the bank’s West Pacific Region. In 2016, Polk was promoted to vice chair, and in 2021 to chief banking officer.
Polk currently serves as a board member for Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) and After-School All-Stars Hawaii. He is also the executive sponsor of one of the bank’s employee resource groups, Nā ‘Ōiwi Aloha, which strives to create opportunities for Native Hawaiians and allies to engage in dialogue and culture.
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.
As Bank of Hawai‘i’s newly appointed chief retail banking officer, vice chair Emerson will be responsible for the bank’s consumer banking products, branch banking and contact center, and will report to Polk.
Emerson joined Bank of Hawai‘i in 2010 as vice president and internet banking manager in the online and mobile banking department. Since then, he has held various leadership roles across the bank, including in eCommerce and digital channels, product management, investment services, retail lending, consumer deposits and digital banking. He has been a member of the bank’s executive committee since 2018 and was promoted to vice chair in 2022. Most recently, Emerson served as chief strategy officer.
“Matt has consistently provided solid leadership, expertise and guidance in each of his positions, and has a proven track record for growing the businesses under his purview,” Ho said. “Bringing together our retail businesses under Matt demonstrates the bank’s commitment to putting the consumer at the heart of everything we do.”
A graduate of ‘Iolani School, Emerson earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematical methods in the social sciences from Northwestern University and his Master in Business Administration degree in finance and marketing from the Kellogg School of Management. He serves as a board member for Kapiolani Health Foundation, is a trustee of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i and is a member of the ‘Iolani School Board of Governors.
