Chief Executive Officer, President & Director of American Savings Bank, Hawaiian Electric Inds
Search every verified Ann Teranishi interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote โ each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Ann Teranishi, CEO of American Savings Bank, participated in a leadership seminar at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in September 2022. During the event, she discussed her career path and leadership philosophy. Teranishi stated that leaders should be "a student for the rest of your life" and emphasized the importance of developing business acumen, people skills, and self-awareness. She said that networking is about "the quality of the connection" and that failure "only makes you stronger and better." Teranishi also spoke about her decision to return to Hawaii after more than 20 years, saying she believed it was "the best place to raise children" and that Hawaii has "amazing leaders." She described her role as CEO as requiring community involvement, noting that "you can't be the CEO of American Savings Bank and not be volunteering on the weekends." Teranishi encouraged students to be open to experiences and to present ideas in ways that others can understand and be persuaded by.
“If you are going to operate as a leader in this world of change, you are going to advantage yourself if you look at being a student for the rest of your life. That means you have to read voraciously, soak up information in areas that aren't familiar or comfortable, and seek out new experiences.”
“You have to have business acumen if you want to reach the top of your profession or any top leadership position. You cannot just be a good communications person or a good engineer; you have to see outside the narrow confines of your organization and understand the business drivers, how the organization makes money, and...”
“People skills are so important. I am not a technician but a process-oriented person, and having a knack for working with people is really important to leadership roles. Being able to attract and draw extremely smart people who can work collectively is the job I have now.”
“You can't be the CEO of American Savings Bank and not be volunteering on the weekends, thinking about what our bank's place in this community is and how we are going to impact the community and drive the future of Hawaii. That is how leaders here think.”
“Failure is good because it only makes you stronger and better and a more developed leader in the end. Embrace being uncomfortable and even failing as part of your growth.”
“Networking is not about volume but the quality of the connection. It can be your neighbor, your uncle, or a childhood friend. The more connections you make, the richer your life becomes.”
“With sufficient self-awareness, drive, and discipline, you too can do the kind of work and be the kind of person you dream of becoming. Self-awareness is about unbiasedly understanding your shortcomings and acting on them.”
“Being open to experiences and what the universe brings to you is important. Life and career are not linear, and that openness sets you up to capitalize on changes and opportunities.”
“You have to learn how different people absorb and take your information. Present your ideas in a way that they can understand and be persuaded. This is crucial to your success as a leader.”
“I came back to Hawaii after over 20 years because I felt this was the best place to raise children and be part of a community where leaders embody traits I value. Hawaii has amazing leaders and something to teach the world in how we operate as leaders.”
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