Our Employees
Enhancing Our Employee Experience
This year, we continued to elevate how our teams work, empowering employees with new learning opportunities designed to enrich their day-to-day experience.
Empowering Teams Through Innovation and Support
This year, we rolled out a variety of AI-driven solutions to increase efficiency and engagement across the bank. Access to Microsoft Copilot was expanded to all employees in the summer, marking a major step forward in productivity and innovation. To ensure a smooth and successful rollout, employees participated in training courses, followed by in-person and virtual learning labs tailored for different skill levels. Additionally, our weekly Copilot challenge encouraged employees to explore creative ways to craft effective AI prompts for potential tasks in their work.
AI Ambassadors
60 employees, passionate about technology and innovation, are spearheading AI engagement among their teams by sharing their expertise and enthusiasm for topics ranging from Microsoft 365® Copilot to AI enhanced data analysis, multimedia generation, and content creation.
Employee Feedback
As we built AI adoption across the organization, we also evolved our approach to internal feedback with the launch of the refreshed BluePulse engagement platform. The new enterprise listening tool modernizes how we gather and interpret engagement insights. With a strong 74% participation rate, managers now benefit from advanced analytics and AI-powered support to help them interpret insights, communicate results, and take meaningful action.
AI Ambassadors spearheading AI engagement among their teams by sharing their expertise and enthusiasm for AI tools.
Emergency Loan Assistance Program
To assist those who were impacted by the partial Federal government shutdown, Bank of Hawaii offered special relief programs—including personal loans, payment forbearance, and loan extensions—to help Federal employees and contractors manage essential expenses and ease financial stress. Bank employees could apply with their impacted family members for loan amounts of up to $5,000 at a discounted interest rate with the loan fee waived.
Employee Resource Groups Support Well-Being and Connection
Our ERGs foster inclusivity, personal growth and community connection through a wide range of events and volunteer activities.
Blue Brigade
Our 90-member military ERG, champions veterans, service members and their families. In 2025, the group introduced a custom Blue Brigade coin to honor a military tradition while fostering advocacy and action. The ERG acknowledged military service members through events like “Heroes Among Us” for Military Appreciation Month, volunteer outreach with U.S. VETS, and cultural connection programs for military families new to Hawaii.
Nā ʻŌiwi Aloha
Our Native Hawaiian ERG hosted quarterly gatherings focused on well-being and cultural knowledge including “Manaʻo & Māmaki” and ʻE ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Kākou Hana Hou!” featuring guest speaker Kumu Kahanuola Solatorio. Other highlights included creating a 30-foot lei for a lei-draping ceremony honoring King Kamehameha, and volunteering at Paepae o Heʻeia to help with restoration of the 800-year-old fishpond.
RainBOH
Our LGBTQIA+ ERG, more than doubled its membership to nearly 200 participants. Members hosted quarterly “Connects,” participated in four Pride parades and festivals across the islands, and supported community causes through events like the Honolulu AIDS Walk and Rainbow Film Festival.
Women Inspired
Women Inspired fostered connection and empowerment through its “Coffee and Connect” series, a Maʻi Movement supply drive for period kits, a dress for success clothing drive, and their annual half-day forum with a theme this year of “Becoming Balanced & Bold,” featuring keynote speaker Michelle Bartell, president and CEO of Aloha United Way.
Blue Brigade ERG co-chair Eddie Quan presented a custom coin to 442nd Regimental Combat Team veteran Dr. Takahashi Manago.
Employees Amy Ngo and Maria Canoy learned how to make lei in a workshop with our Nā ʻŌiwi Aloha ERG.
Members and allies of our native Hawaiian ERG, Nā ʻŌiwi Aloha, gathered to commemorate Hawaiian History Month in September.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
Our popular College Assistance Program (CAP) helps employees achieve their academic goal of graduating from college. In May, two employees earned their bachelor’s degrees from Chaminade University, bringing the total to 27 graduates since the program’s start. The bank has invested over $2.4 million in employees’ tuition and educational expenses through CAP, and we look forward to celebrating the program's 10th year in 2026.
We also nurture the next generation of professionals through our Summer Intern and College Mentorship Programs. This year, we had our largest intern group to date, with 47 students joining 29 departments from June through August. Our College Mentorship Program, which builds connections between employees and students from local universities, hosted eight students in the spring and 10 in the fall for real-world career insights and professional guidance.
In 2025, we welcomed 47 college students for our largest summer intern class.
Developing Our People
Our investment in learning and development remains a cornerstone of our culture. We’re dedicated to helping employees grow their careers and skills and offered many opportunities throughout the year:
Customer Experience (CX) Advocate Program
Now expanded to include three progressive levels of learning, this specialized training aligns with our CX strategy and includes empathy mapping, customer-journey mapping, persona activation, and certification for leadership roles.
Employee Mentoring Program
Led by the Women Inspired ERG, the program connected employees seeking guidance with other employees to serve as mentors in the workplace.
Leadership Excellence Forum (LXF)
Leadership Council members came together for in-depth sessions on key topics, such as organic growth, risk management, and leading with AI.
Learning & Career Expo
Four sessions were held in October featuring introductions to business units, ERGs, and the AI Development Center, along with opportunities to learn about career paths and development resources.
New Employee Orientation
Our refreshed onboarding programming for new employees and leaders provided tailored experiences to help them transition into their roles successfully and build long-term engagement.
Pathways to Professional Excellence (PPE)
Celebrating our 20th cohort this year, 38 participants, representing 27 business units and nominated by their managers, were selected to take part in this highly regarded leadership development program.
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