Bank of Hawaiʻi Launches ‘Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurs’

The Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurs leadership team (L to R): Dave Stinson, Curtis Fessler, Agatha Viernes-LeGros, Dave Specht and Marco Abbruzzese.

As many Hawaiʻi business owners face major decisions about succession, ownership, and long‑term continuity, Bank of Hawaiʻi has launched the Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurs, a dedicated, multi-faceted and holistic service designed to help local business owners plan for growth, transition, and the future.

Research shows that for many business owners as much as 70% or more of their personal wealth is tied up in their companies, making decisions about succession, transition, and continuity deeply personal as well as financial.

Created for family‑owned and closely-held businesses, the CFBE brings together Bank of Hawaiʻi’s commercial banking, private banking, and wealth strategy expertise to help owners with complex decisions, uncover opportunities, and plan confidently for what lies ahead.

“For generations, family businesses and entrepreneurs have been the backbone of Hawaiʻi’s economy,” said Agatha Viernes-LeGros, Director of the Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurs at Bank of Hawaiʻi. “The CFBE reflects our commitment to walking alongside business owners as trusted partners, helping them see opportunities they may not realize exist, simplify complicated decisions, and protect what they’ve built for the people and communities they care about.”

Addressing a Growing Need in Hawaiʻi
Across Hawaiʻi, many business owners are approaching major transition points, whether planning for succession, considering a sale, or preparing the next generation for leadership. At the same time, owners often face unique challenges: balancing family dynamics, managing tax and estate considerations, and making decisions that affect employees, customers, and the broader community.

The CFBE was created in response to these realities, offering a thoughtful, confidential, and highly tailored approach that reflects Hawaiʻi’s business landscape and values.

The Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurs is designed for:

• Owners of family-owned and closely-held businesses.
• Entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of success, such as preparing for succession or ownership transition.
• Business owners whose personal wealth, family goals, and financial futures are deeply connected to their companies.

How the CFBE Helps
Through a confidential, relationship-driven approach, the CFBE helps business owners:

• Uncover opportunities to grow, protect, and transition wealth — often overlooked within their businesses.
• Bring clarity to complexity, helping owners simplify intertwined business, personal, and family financial matters.
• Plan for succession and continuity, whether transitioning to family members, key employees, or external buyers.
• Navigate sensitive family and governance issues with care, discretion, and long term perspective.

Services and guidance may include business valuation insights; succession and exit planning; tax, estate, and legacy planning; wealth strategy; and coordination with trusted advisors, ensuring owners have access to the right expertise at the right time. The CFBE will also engage business owners across the state through events, educational programming, and community outreach.

A Holistic, Hawaiʻi Focused Approach
A unique aspect of the CFBE is that it serves as a central point of coordination, aligning commercial banking, private banking, and wealth planning to ensure everyone involved is working toward shared goals.

“Our clients told us they want a trusted partner who understands Hawaiʻi, respects confidentiality, and can help them connect the dots across their business and personal lives,” said Viernes-LeGros “That’s exactly what this center is designed to do.”

For more information about the Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurs, call (808) 694-1264 or visit boh.com/familybusiness.