Ann Teranishi at the Helm of American Savings Bank’s Most Pivotal Era
Hawaii Business Magazineʻs CEO of the Year: From pandemic resilience to independence, Teranishi played a central role in shaping American Savings Bank’s most transformative era.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT CEO?
Is it showing up early or staying late at work – or both? Is it leading by example or directing from the top?
At Hawaii Business Magazine, we believe great leadership reveals itself in times of crisis – when calm, compassion and clarity matter most. That’s why we selected Ann Teranishi, president and CEO of American Savings Bank, as our 2025 CEO of the Year.
She was chosen not only for her steady guidance through the Covid crisis, the Maui wildfires and Hawaiian Electric Industries’ divestiture of ASB, but also for her ability to tackle real-world problems, including pressing issues like home affordability.
2025 marks ASB’s 100th year of serving Hawaiʻi, and under Ann’s leadership, the bank has continued to address our state’s most critical challenges.
If her father, prominent business leader Dennis Teranishi, planted the seeds of purpose with his guidance and example, it was her mother who instilled courage, compassion and a deep sense of inclusion – traits that define Ann’s leadership. Dennis, who declined a formal interview, insists the spotlight stay on his daughter, a reflection of the family’s pride in her accomplishments.
CREATING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT
I interviewed her elder sister, Lori Teranishi, several times, and she is effervescent, insightful and downright determined. Lori is the founder and CEO of iQ 360, a certified woman- and minority-owned consultancy firm, and she describes Ann as neither fully introverted nor extroverted, but “in the middle,” able to observe thoughtfully while still driving decisions. That balance, Lori says, allows Ann to consider multiple perspectives while leading decisively.
“Mom always taught us that when you walk into a room, try to talk to the people that no one else is talking to,” Lori says. Ann exemplifies that lesson in the workplace, ensuring all voices are heard and creating an inclusive environment.
Lori notes, “After one of the Hawaiʻi Executive Conferences, she started to work with a variety of people, and they created a Native Hawaiian loan program at American Savings Bank to really provide access to financing to a group that historically had a lot of difficulties accessing capital.”
Another recent initiative is Hui Kapili, a 10-week accelerator supporting small and mid-sized construction and home remodeling companies that are helping to address Hawaiʻi’s housing and labor challenges.
Ann’s leadership is also reflected in ASB’s financial strength and industry recognition. The bank, which is ranked in the top 4% of U.S. financial institutions (according to Forbes), managed $9.3 billion in assets at the end of 2024 and has been recognized by Forbes as one of Hawaiʻi’s Best In-State Banks for six consecutive years. And her focus on thoughtful, people-centered leadership and connection to local communities ensures ASB will continue to thrive.
For more on Ann and her family, be sure to read our December cover story.
REWIND 2025
This year has been inspiring for all of us at Hawaii Business Magazine. We’ve covered a lot, from the record-breaking Wahine Forum to thought-provoking cover stories on toxic workplaces, Bank of Hawaiʻi’s Peter Ho and local social media stars. And there’s the tale of U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park, a green-card holder who felt compelled to self-deport to South Korea, and our online viral ICE map spearheaded by managing editor Ken Wills that brought timely, critical insights to readers across the state.
We celebrated Hawaiʻi’s business excellence and generosity with cover stories on the Top 250 and the Most Charitable Companies, and we launched our inaugural Excellence in Business Awards to honor outstanding local organizations.
With this issue’s 28th edition of the Black Book, which profiles 401 of Hawaiʻi’s most influential business and nonprofit leaders, we continue to spotlight the people shaping our state’s future.
But the true source of our success is you, our readers, whose ideas, feedback and support guide and challenge us. Mahalo for helping us tell the stories that matter most. Here’s to another year of learning, leading and building a better Hawaiʻi together.
