HB20: Ryan Kuniyuki, Bank of Hawai‘i

Bringing 15 years of global banking experience home, Ryan Kuniyuki leads with a values-driven approach that puts people before transactions.

Ryan Kuniyuki says his leadership role at Bank of Hawaiʻi puts him in an ideal position to help Hawaiʻi create more opportunities for future generations of local people.

“Most people think banking is purely financial, but to me, it’s about building relationships, understanding local needs and delivering solutions that create long-term value,” says Kuniyuki, senior VP and director of corporate banking at Bank of Hawaiʻi.

His vision for the bank is a high-quality 21st-century institution that honors Hawaiian culture and community. “When those two marry, that’s when results will follow,” he says.

He has the experience to make that marriage work. He was born and raised here, and came home with his wife to raise their daughter, but also has 15 years of high-level experience with large banks on the U.S. continent, Europe and Asia. His latest overseas experience was as the global banking giant HSBC’s head of international corporate banking in Taiwan.

“Ryan’s experience abroad – combining practical know-how, industry insight and disciplined execution – shaped the forward-thinking strategies he brought back home to Hawaiʻi,” says Peter Ho, Bank of Hawaiʻi’s chairman and CEO.

“What distinguishes Ryan just as clearly is his values-driven leadership. People are his priority, whether clients, colleagues or community.”

Kuniyuki serves in several volunteer roles at the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii: on the board of directors and executive committee, and as board treasurer and chair of the finance and investment committees. He says 98% of the keiki served are from low or very low-income families, “so it makes a big difference for them.”

His family was always close, so he says it was devastating when his father died in 2004, only a few years after Kuniyuki’s graduation from Purdue University. “We shared a very close relationship, and his passing was especially difficult to navigate.”

His colleagues helped him cope during his first tenure at Bank of Hawaiʻi.

“Their encouragement and friendship taught me an invaluable lesson about the importance of meaningful relationships and a strong support system,” he says. “We’ve continued to foster and strengthen those bonds over the past two decades, and that experience really shaped my approach to leadership and client service.”

Ho also emphasized Kuniyuki’s people skills: hands-on leadership and coaching, building trust with employees and customers while delivering strategic and innovative solutions.

Kuniyuki says, “I believe that showing up for our clients and our community, through genuine, enduring relationships, is critically important. It’s become a principle that guides my work.”