Molly Campbell
EAST WEST BANCORPAbout Molly Campbell
Molly Campbell, 64, is an independent director of East West Bancorp (EWBC) who has served on the Board since 2014. She sits on the Audit (designated Audit Committee Financial Expert), Compensation and Management Development, and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees, bringing nearly 30 years of executive leadership across ports, logistics, and public finance . Her background includes senior advisory roles at Boston Consulting Group, an advisor role to the U.S. Treasury Office of Technical Assistance, and fellowship appointments at Harvard and Stanford; she previously led the Port Department of the Port Authority of NY/NJ (2015–2018) and was Deputy Executive Director at the Port of Los Angeles (2007–2015) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Department) | Director | 2015–2018 | Oversaw operations and largest East Coast seaport |
| Port of Los Angeles | Deputy Executive Director | 2007–2015 | Senior leadership of major U.S. port |
| Los Angeles World Airports | Director of Financial Management Systems | Not disclosed | Financial systems leadership |
| City of Los Angeles | Director of Public Finance | Not disclosed | Municipal finance leadership |
| Boston Consulting Group | Senior Advisor | Most recent | Strategic advisory experience |
| U.S. Treasury, Office of Technical Assistance | Advisor | Most recent | Government advisory |
| Harvard University | Advanced Leadership Fellow | Most recent | Leadership fellowship |
| Stanford University | Distinguished Career Institute Fellow | Most recent | Executive learning fellowship |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE: GVA) | Director | Current | Only other disclosed public company directorship |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director; Board determined all directors except CEO Dominic Ng are independent | |
| Years of Service | Director since 2014 | |
| Committee Assignments | Audit (Financial Expert), Compensation & Management Development, Nominating/Corporate Governance | |
| Committee Leadership | Not a chair (Audit Chair: Lester Sussman; Compensation Chair: Jack Liu; Nominating Chair: Paul Irving) | |
| 2024 Meetings | Board held 4 regular meetings + a retreat; 20 committee meetings in 2024 | |
| Attendance | All director nominees attended all regularly scheduled Board and committee meetings and the retreat in 2024 | |
| Executive Sessions | Independent directors meet in executive session at every regularly scheduled Board meeting |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer (standard) | $133,750 | Standard non-employee director cash retainer for 2024 |
| Fees Earned (M. Campbell) | $133,768 | Paid June 2024 for service May 2024–May 2025 |
| Committee Chair Fees (if applicable) | Audit $27,500; Comp $27,500; Risk $27,500; Nominating $22,500 | Campbell not listed as a chair |
| Lead Independent Director Cash Retainer | $40,000 | Applies to Lead Independent Director (not Campbell) |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element (2024) | Detail | Grant/Value |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Equity Grant | 1,818 shares of EWBC common stock granted to each non-employee director on May 28, 2024 | 1,818 shares; grant date price $73.56; fair value $133,732 |
| Campbell – Stock Awards (reported) | Grant-date fair value | $133,732 |
| Options | None disclosed for directors in 2024 | Not applicable |
| Performance Metrics | None disclosed for director equity; equity presented as common stock grant | Not disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Director | Other Public Boards | Potential Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molly Campbell | Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE: GVA) | Proxy lists this as her only other public board among EWBC directors; no additional interlocks disclosed |
The proxy states there were no related party transactions requiring approval in 2024; director/affiliate loans, when made, were ordinary course, on market terms, and none were nonaccrual/past due/restructured/potential problem loans as of 12/31/2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit Committee Financial Expert designation (FE) and service on Audit Committee .
- Deep domain expertise in global logistics, international trade, and financial management/reporting per biography .
- Skills matrix indicates she brings high financial expertise, senior leadership, international/geopolitical experience, social/corporate governance, and risk oversight/management expertise to the Board .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (4/3/2025) | 10,639 shares; less than 1% of class |
| Vested vs. Unvested | Not disclosed for directors; table excludes unvested RSUs (general note) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Company policy prohibits directors from pledging or hedging Company securities |
| Director Ownership Guidelines | Directors must own 3x annual cash retainer within 5 years of election |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and engagement: 100% attendance at all regularly scheduled Board and relevant committee meetings in 2024; independent directors hold executive sessions each regular meeting—both reinforcing oversight quality .
- Financial oversight strength: Campbell serves on Audit (as a designated Financial Expert), Compensation, and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees, aligning with her financial and governance skillset and supporting robust controls and talent oversight .
- Alignment with shareholders: Director pay mix is balanced (~50/50 cash and stock), with a standardized cash retainer and an annual common stock grant; director stock ownership guidelines (3x cash retainer) and no hedging/pledging policy support alignment and risk mitigation .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related-party transactions requiring review were reported for 2024; any director or related-entity loans are ordinary course on market terms with no credit concerns as of year-end 2024, reducing conflict risk .
- Shareholder sentiment signal: Say-on-pay support at the 2024 annual meeting was ~98.7%, indicating strong investor backing of executive compensation oversight; Campbell is a member of the Compensation Committee, which may reflect confidence in committee stewardship .
RED FLAGS observed: None in disclosures—no low attendance, no pledging/hedging, and no related-party transactions reported for 2024 .
Supporting Tables and Citations
- Director compensation (cash and equity) and grant specifics are documented in the 2025 Proxy, including the non-employee director compensation table and equity grant details .
- Committee composition, financial expert designation, and meeting counts are disclosed in the Board Committee sections and nominee summary .
- Beneficial ownership as of April 3, 2025 is provided in the ownership table .