HB20: Warren Altona, Hawaii State Federal Credit Union

Redefining growth as stability and opportunity for members, this first-generation college graduate leads HSFCU's boldest era of expansion yet.

The leaders of Hawaii State Federal Credit Union chose Executive Vice President Warren Altona to be their first chief growth officer in 2025 because of his exceptional leadership skills and broad vision for growth.

“For me, growth isn’t about more branches or bigger numbers,” Altona says. “It’s about increasing stability, opportunity and long-term well-being for our members and their families.” It also includes deepening relationships with credit union employees and customers throughout Hawaiʻi.

The five attributes of effective leadership at HSFCU, according to its president and CEO, Andrew Rosen, are to dream big, lead with passion, be a master of change, get stuff done and then encourage fun. Altona embraces all five.

“He’s constantly learning, constantly reading and trying to improve himself,” and he takes the time to really learn the business, Rosen says.

Tireless effort has been another of Altona’s attributes since his childhood in Pālolo as part of a close family. On the football field at Kalani High School, he was undersized but relentless and earned the role of captain on defense. “No one was going to outwork me on the field,” he says.

He became the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a degree in business and finance from UH Mānoa, and joined Bank of Hawaiʻi soon after. He values his 15 years there: “They were great to me. There are so many good people I worked with, and I was able to develop there.”

It was also a time of community service: He served on the Kalihi Business Association’s board of directors and eventually became president and was a charter member at the Rotary Club of Honolulu Pau Hana. Today, he’s on the board of directors for The Friends of ʻIolani Palace.

HSFCU recruited him in 2021 when several senior leaders at the nonprofit credit union were preparing to retire. After being promoted to executive VP, he led the creation of two major products: a savings account that began with a 5% interest rate and a credit card with a cash back rate of 2.5%. He says both products help attract new members and deepen the loyalty of existing ones.

Looking to the future, Altona is focused on continued growth at home and work. “I want to be a good husband and father to my two kids,” he says, and “continue to grow our impact in the community so we all work toward building a better Hawaiʻi.”