Daisy Y. Ha
HOPE BANCORPAbout Daisy Y. Ha
Independent director of Hope Bancorp, Inc. since 2016 (previously Wilshire Bancorp/Bank board since 2014); age 50. Attorney with career experience in federal courts and employment law; BA, cum laude, from Williams College and JD from UC Berkeley School of Law. Current board expertise cited in corporate governance and ethics, executive and incentive compensation, and human capital/succession planning; serves on Audit and Compensation Committees.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. District Court | Term law clerk | 2000 | Judicial clerkship experience in general civil and criminal law |
| Paul Hastings | Employment law associate | 2001–2004 | Litigated/provided advice on employment law matters |
| U.S. District Court | Career law clerk | 2004–2011 | Broad legal support across civil and criminal dockets |
| California Courts of Appeal | Appellate court attorney | 2011 | Appellate analysis, drafting and review |
External Roles
- No other public company directorships are listed in Ms. Ha’s biography; no external committee roles disclosed.
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; Audit and Compensation Committees are 100% independent.
- Committee assignments (effective May 23, 2024):
- Audit Committee (Member); 15 meetings held in 2024.
- Compensation Committee (Member); 8 meetings held in 2024.
- Attendance and engagement: All current directors attended at least 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings in 2024 and attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Audit Committee financial expert designation: Listed experts are Joon Kyung Kim, William J. Lewis, Rachel H. Lee, and Dale S. Zuehls (Ms. Ha not designated).
- Shareholder vote (2025 annual meeting, Item 5.07): Daisy Y. Ha received 101,097,959 “For”; 313,293 “Withhold”; 7,188,595 broker non‑votes.
Fixed Compensation
Director compensation program (as of May 23, 2024):
| Description | Cash | Equity | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director Annual Retainer | $54,000 | $54,000 | $15,000 (health or cash in lieu) |
| Deputy Lead Independent Director Retainer | $9,000 | $9,000 | — |
| Committee Chair Retainer | $9,000 | $9,000 | — |
Daisy Y. Ha – 2024 actual compensation:
| Year | Fees Earned (Cash) | Stock Awards (Grant-date FV) | All Other Compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $54,000 | $54,000 | $15,000 | $123,000 |
Performance Compensation
- Director equity awards are time-vested RSUs; no director performance metrics are disclosed for director equity (PSUs apply to NEO LTIP, not directors). RSUs typically vest on the one-year anniversary of grant or at the next annual meeting.
- 2024 RSU grant and outstanding awards for Daisy Y. Ha:
- RSUs granted in 2024: 5,137 units (grant date 7/3/2024, closing price $10.51 for FV).
- Unvested RSUs outstanding at 12/31/2024: 5,137 units.
- Options outstanding (director legacy awards):
- 4,404 options @ $14.65, granted/fully vested 8/1/2016, expire 8/25/2025.
- 20,000 options @ $17.18, granted 9/1/2016, fully vested 9/1/2018, expire 9/1/2026.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None; no members have been officers/employees; no reciprocal executive board service conflicts.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Corporate governance and ethics; executive and incentive compensation/benefits; human capital management and succession planning.
Equity Ownership
Stock ownership guidelines and status (directors must hold ≥3x annual cash retainer, with 5-year compliance window):
| Director | Target Shares to Satisfy Guideline | Shares Held (Direct/Indirect, incl. eligible RSUs) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daisy Y. Ha | 13,181 | 588,233 | Compliant (✓) |
Beneficial ownership detail (Record Date 3/24/2025; 121,074,988 shares outstanding):
| Holder | Common Shares Beneficially Owned | Options Exercisable ≤60 Days | RSUs to Vest ≤60 Days | Total Beneficial | % Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daisy Y. Ha | 583,096 | 24,404 | 5,137 | 612,637 | <1% |
Policies enhancing alignment:
- Insider trading policy prohibits hedging and pledging company stock; margin accounts prohibited; limited exception possible with legal approval demonstrating capacity to repay without resort to pledged securities.
Insider Trades
| Date (Trade) | Filing | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-07 | SEC Form 4 | Reported sale of common stock | Filing indicates sale; reported price noted at $15.37/share; signed by attorney-in-fact for Daisy Ha. |
| 2024-11-07 | Form 144 | Notice of proposed sale under Rule 144 | Filed by Daisy Y. Ha. |
| 2025-05-27 | SEC Form 4 | Statement of changes in beneficial ownership | Form 4 filed; issuer HOPE; Daisy Y. Ha reporting. |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with meaningful legal/governance expertise; active roles on Audit and Compensation Committees; confirmed independence of committees; strong share ownership well above director guideline; attendance threshold met; favorable shareholder support in 2025 director election.
- Alignment: Mix of cash and equity (annual RSUs) plus significant personal holdings support long-term alignment; anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy reduces misalignment risk.
- Conflicts/Related party: No Daisy-specific related-party transactions disclosed; bank notes ordinary course director/officer loans are on market terms and reviewed, with no material unfavorable features.
- Red flags: None disclosed for hedging/pledging, option repricing, legal proceedings, or committee interlocks involving Ms. Ha.
Contextual investor signal: Company say‑on‑pay received ~97% support in 2024 following program changes emphasizing balanced metrics and longer LTIP measurement, indicating broader governance/compensation credibility.