Archana Deskus
EAST WEST BANCORPAbout Archana Deskus
Independent director at East West Bancorp, Inc. (EWBC); age 59; director since 2019. Former Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at PayPal; prior CIO roles at Intel (2020–2022), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (2017–2019), and Baker Hughes (2013–2017). Current board roles include Cognizant Technology Solutions (public) and DataStax (private); expertise spans information technology, cybersecurity, risk management, and innovation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal Holdings, Inc. | EVP & CTO | Not disclosed | Led technology strategy; IT, risk and cybersecurity leadership |
| Intel Corporation | CIO | 2020–2022 | Enterprise IT leadership; operations and risk oversight |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | CIO | 2017–2019 | Large-scale IT transformation and governance |
| Baker Hughes | CIO | 2013–2017 | Industrial technology modernization; operational risk focus |
| Ingersoll Rand; Timex; United Technologies | CIO roles | Not disclosed | Multi-industry CIO experience; broad IT governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognizant Technology Solutions (Nasdaq: CTSH) | Director | Current | Public company directorship |
| DataStax, Inc. | Director | Current | Private company directorship |
| Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas | Board member | Prior | Non-profit governance |
| Tavant Technologies | Board member | Prior | Private company governance |
| American Eagle Federal Credit Union | Board member | Prior | Financial services governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent; all members of the Compensation and Nominating/Governance Committees satisfy Nasdaq independence; Risk Oversight Committee members are independent .
- Committee Assignments: Compensation Committee member; Risk Oversight Committee member (not chair) .
- Attendance & Engagement: In 2024 the Board held 4 regular meetings plus a multi-day retreat; 20 committee meetings. All director nominees attended all regularly scheduled Board and applicable committee meetings, and the retreat (implying 100% scheduled attendance) .
- Committee Workloads:
- Compensation Committee: 5 meetings in 2024
- Risk Oversight Committee: 4 meetings in 2024; responsibilities include enterprise risk categories and cybersecurity oversight
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount/Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $133,750; recorded as $133,768 fees earned in 2024 table |
| Equity grant (common stock) | $133,750 grant value; 1,818 shares on May 28, 2024 at $73.56 close; recorded as $133,732 fair value |
| Committee chair fees | Not applicable (not a chair) |
| Lead Independent Director fee | Not applicable (not LID) |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed (none indicated; compensation structured via retainers and annual stock) |
2024 Non-Employee Director Compensation (individual):
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archana Deskus | 133,768 | 133,732 | 267,500 |
Performance Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Performance-linked pay | Not disclosed for directors; non-employee director compensation consists of cash retainer and annual common stock grants (no performance conditions specified) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to EWBC | Potential Interlock/Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant Technology Solutions | External public directorship | IT services provider; no EWBC related-party transactions requiring approval in 2024; loans to directors’ entities only on ordinary-course terms when applicable |
| DataStax, Inc. | External private directorship | Technology vendor landscape; no EWBC related-party transactions requiring approval in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Information Technology and Cybersecurity: Direct experience as CTO/CIO; Board skills matrix recognizes her IT, cybersecurity, and privacy expertise .
- Risk Oversight: Member of Risk Oversight Committee; Board highlights risk management experience .
- Senior Leadership: Extensive executive roles across large, complex organizations .
- International Exposure: Experience across industries and geographies; relevant to EWBC’s U.S.-Asia bridge model .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of Apr 3, 2025) | 13,614 EWBC shares; <1% of class |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Directors must own ≥3x annual cash retainer within 5 years of election |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for directors, officers, employees under Insider Trading Policy |
| RSUs/options | Director grants disclosed as common stock; no director options disclosed; RSUs framework described for employees/NEOs, not for directors |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with high attendance; engaged across Compensation and Risk Oversight committees .
- Deep IT and cybersecurity expertise aligned with Risk Oversight’s remit, including oversight of cybersecurity risks .
- Director pay structure appears balanced (cash and equity retainer), supporting alignment without performance distortion .
- No related-party transactions requiring review in 2024; loans to directors’ related entities only on market terms (ordinary course) .
- Shareholder support strong: Say-on-Pay approval 95.56% in 2025 and 98.72% in 2024; all directors (including Deskus) elected with substantial majorities .
-
Watch items / potential conflicts
- External board roles at Cognizant/DataStax: while no related-party transactions were disclosed, EWBC’s vendor relationships should continue to be monitored for independence and ordinary-course treatment .
- Compensation committee membership: ensure continued use of independent consultants (Meridian) and robust risk review of incentive programs .
Appendix: Board/Committee Summary for Archana Deskus
| Body | Role | 2024 Meetings | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| EWBC Board | Director (Independent) | 4 regular + retreat | 100% of scheduled meetings |
| Compensation Committee | Member | 5 | 100% of scheduled meetings |
| Risk Oversight Committee | Member | 4 | 100% of scheduled meetings |
Shareholder Voting Signals
| Proposal | 2025 Outcome | 2024 Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Election of Directors (including Deskus) | Deskus: 117,312,674 For; 899,067 Against; 169,124 Abstain; strong support | Deskus: 117,209,068 For; 882,765 Against; 320,289 Abstain |
| Say-on-Pay | 95.56% For (113,119,369 For; 5,035,458 Against; 226,038 Abstain) | 98.72% For (116,901,448 For; 1,249,303 Against; 261,371 Abstain) |
| Auditor Ratification | 97.83% For (122,442,272 For; 2,552,139 Against; 164,887 Abstain) | 99.71% For (125,066,880 For; 313,062 Against; 50,591 Abstain) |