Brent Williams
HOPE BANCORPAbout Brent Williams
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Banking Officer at Bank of Hope effective April 1, 2025; age 57. Joined from City National Bank where he was Executive Vice President and Division Head of Commercial Banking and National Corporate Banking, overseeing C&I relationships serving clients with $40M–$2B in annual revenue . Education: MBA (Finance & International Business), University of Michigan; BA (Business Administration & Management), University of Pittsburgh . Firm performance metrics tied to incentives center on EPS excluding notable items ($0.85), PPNR ROAA excluding notable items (0.88%), criticized loan ratio (3.35%), total loan growth (-1.62%), and average deposit change ex-brokered (-2.58%) for 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| City National Bank | EVP & Division Head, Commercial Banking and National Corporate Banking | 6+ years | Led C&I banking groups serving clients with $40M–$2B revenue, national corporate banking oversight |
| Wells Fargo | Executive Vice President, Region Head | — | Commercial banking leadership (as reported) |
| Scitor Corporation | Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | — | Corporate finance leadership (as reported) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | No public company directorships disclosed in HOPE filings for Brent Williams | — | — |
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Brent Williams (HOPE) |
|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed in HOPE filings as of the 2025 proxy |
| Target bonus % (STIP) | Not disclosed; HOPE sets targets by corporate title; 2024 NEO targets ranged 40%–100% of salary |
| Actual bonus paid (latest year) | Not disclosed for Brent; 2024 NEO payouts were below target under STIP |
| RSU grants | Not disclosed for Brent; HOPE LTIP grants in 2024 to NEOs included time-vested RSUs |
| PSU grants | Not disclosed for Brent; HOPE LTIP grants in 2024 to NEOs included PSUs with 3-year performance cycles |
| Options | No option awards disclosed for Brent; HOPE NEOs had no new options; legacy options outstanding for some NEOs |
Reference targets used for NEOs in 2024 (context for SEVP/Evp-level roles):
| Executive | Annual Target Incentive (% of Salary) |
|---|---|
| CEO (Kevin S. Kim) | 100% |
| CFO (Julianna Balicka) | 40% |
| SEVP/EVP peers (Peter J. Koh; Thomas P. Stenger; Kyu S. Kim) | 45% |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weight | 2024 Target | Actual 2024 Result | Payout as % of Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPS (excluding notable items) | 25% | $1.00 | $0.85 | 63% |
| PPNR ROAA (excluding notable items) | 25% | 0.98% | 0.88% | 50% |
| Criticized loan ratio (4 quarter-end avg) | 20% | 2.33% | 3.35% | 0% |
| Total loan growth | 15% | 3.0% | -1.62% | 0% |
| Avg deposit change (ex-brokered) | 15% | -2.0% | -2.58% | 78% |
| Corporate performance subtotal | 100% | — | — | 40% achievement (weighted) |
Additional plan design details:
- STIP scorecard: 80% financial metrics, 20% discretionary (individual objectives); payout curve threshold 50% of target, max 150% .
- LTIP structure: 2024 grants to NEOs were 50% time-vested RSUs (ratable over 3 years) and 50% PSUs (3-year performance period; EPS measure removed; relative metrics used) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership: Brent Williams not listed among Section 16 officers in the 2025 beneficial ownership table; no share count disclosed as of the March 24, 2025 record date .
- Stock ownership guidelines: CEO must hold 5x base salary; non-employee directors 3x retainer; no ownership guideline disclosed for other NEOs/executives .
- Hedging/pledging: Company prohibits hedging and pledging of HOPE stock; no margin accounts. Limited exceptions to pledging may be granted by Legal upon demonstration of repayment capacity .
- Clawback: Adopted Oct 2023; recoups erroneously awarded incentive comp for restatements up to three completed fiscal years; covers cash incentives and equity (options, RSUs, PSUs, performance units), per SEC/Nasdaq rules .
Employment Terms
- Appointment and role: Hired April 1, 2025 as SEVP & Chief Commercial Banking Officer .
- Employment agreements: HOPE discloses having an employment agreement only for the CEO; no employment agreement disclosed for other NEOs or Brent Williams .
- Change-of-control and severance practices: Company highlights “no automatic single-trigger vesting upon a change of control” and best-practice governance; CEO severance multiples disclosed (150% base, 250% within one year post-CoC) with accelerated vesting subject to performance conditions; no individual terms disclosed for Brent .
Past Performance & Track Record
- Executive background: Led large C&I banking teams; prior senior roles at City National Bank; reported prior roles at Wells Fargo and Scitor Corporation (finance leadership) .
- Company pay-for-performance outcomes: 2022–2024 PSU cycle paid at 70% of target for NEOs; prior 2021–2023 LTIP had mixed absolute EPS outperformance with sub-target ROTCE vs KBW index and above-median TSR percentile; HOPE removed 12-month EPS from LTIP beginning 2024 to emphasize 3-year metrics .
Governance, Peer Benchmarking & Say-on-Pay
- Independent compensation consultant: Pearl Meyer engaged; peer benchmarking across regional banks of comparable size; performance peer for LTIP is KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index .
- 2024 Say-on-Pay approval: Approximately 97% support at 2024 annual meeting, following program changes (STIP/LTIP restructuring, stronger financial alignment) .
Risk Indicators & Related Party Transactions
- Related party transactions: No material related-party transactions beyond ordinary-course banking relationships; loans to insiders made on market terms and reviewed by independent directors/Audit Committee .
- Insider trading compliance: Section 16(a) compliance affirmed for officers/directors; anti-hedging/pledging policy in place .
- Executive integrity disclosures: No bankruptcy or criminal proceedings for current executive officers noted by the company .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and incentives: Brent’s remit is growth and quality in C&I; HOPE’s STIP metrics (EPS ex notable items, PPNR ROAA, asset quality, loan/deposit growth) directly tie executive payouts to earnings power, balance-sheet growth, and credit discipline—positive for alignment with shareholder value .
- Retention and selling pressure: No disclosed ownership or grants for Brent yet; monitor forthcoming Form 4 filings for initial RSU/PSU awards and any 8-K updates to compensatory arrangements to assess near-term vesting events and potential selling pressure .
- Governance safeguards: Anti-hedging/pledging and clawback provisions lower misalignment and restatement risk. No single-trigger vesting reduces change-of-control windfall risk; CEO-only employment agreement suggests at-will structure for other executives, which can affect retention depending on award design .
- Trading signals to watch: C&I loan growth trend vs corporate targets, criticized loan ratio trajectory, and deposit mix improvement—these drive STIP outcomes and can foreshadow executive cash bonus realizations. Track Compensation Committee disclosures in the next proxy for Brent-specific targets, grants, and payout calibrations .