FIRST HAWAIIAN BANK ANNOUNCES
FIVE NEW SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS

(Honolulu, Hawaii, December 19, 2007) - First Hawaiian Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Don Horner today announced the promotion of the following five bank officers to senior vice president:

• Benjamin K. Akana to senior vice president and region manager, Main Banking Region
• Neill A. Char to senior vice president and branch manager, University Branch
• Robert J. Heberer to senior vice president, Credit Administration Department
• Gregory J. Sitar to senior vice president and area manager, Pearlridge Branch
• Vernon Y. C. Wong to senior vice president and manager, Private Wealth Management

Akana has over 25 years of banking experience and replaces Ray S. Ono who was recently named vice chairman and is assuming additional responsibilities in the Wealth Management Group. Since joining First Hawaiian Bank in 1991, Akana has specialized in retail and business banking. He is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, the College of Idaho and the Pacific Coast Banking School.

Char has over 13 years of banking experience in Hawaii and joined First Hawaiian in 2001 as a corporate banking officer. He was promoted to vice president in 2002 and named branch manager, University Branch in 2004. He is a graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute and has a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Hawaii.

Herberer joined First Hawaiian Bank in 1974 as a commercial loan officer and was promoted to vice president in 1976. He has been with the Credit Administration Department since 1994. He was born in St. Louis Missouri.

Sitar began his career with First Hawaiian Bank in 1983 as a management trainee and has held various positions including loan representative and branch manager at Waipahu, Moanalua and Mililani Branches. He is currently the manager at the bank's Pearlridge Branch. He is a graduate of Damien Memorial High School, the University of Hawaii and the Pacific Coast Banking School.

Wong joined First Hawaiian Bank in 2005 as vice president and wealth management officer. He has over 23 years of asset management and financial planning experience and was previously field vice president with American Express Financial Advisors, Hawaii. He is a graduate of Roosevelt High School, has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii and has an MBA from Chaminade University.

First Hawaiian Bank (fhb.com) with assets of $12.5 billion was founded in 1858 and is Hawaii's oldest and largest bank. It has 58 branches in Hawaii, three on Guam and two on Saipan. It is a subsidiary of BancWest Corporation (www.bancwestcorp.com), a financial holding company with assets of $71.7 billion.

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