Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, CENTRAL PACIFIC FINANCIAL CP
New CEO of CPB, Arnold Martinez
Arnold Martinez joins Gina Mangieri in studio to discuss his new role as CEO of Central Pacific Bank. Hawaii News, Hawaii ...
About Arnold Martines
Arnold Martinez, who became president of Central Pacific Bank and was set to assume the CEO title, discussed his background and priorities in a September 2023 interview. Martinez, who said he had been with the bank for nearly 19 years, described the institution as "home" and expressed humility about leading it. He stated that his upbringing on a sugar plantation instilled values of helping and working together that inform his leadership approach. Martinez highlighted the bank's role in distributing nearly $870 million in loans to over 11,000 small businesses during the pandemic, calling it "one of my proudest moments." He credited the staff for working around the clock to support the community. Martinez also encouraged young people to explore careers in finance, advising them to "stick your neck out" and find work that "makes your heart sing." He said customers and the community can count on the bank to continue doing good work.
Transcript (13 segments)
H
Host0:01
Well, Hawaii. You're watching the KHON 2 News.
Welcome back. Joining us in studio is someone who is going to be taking over a very important institution in our community. Central Pacific Bank is currently president and will be taking on the CEO title as well soon. Arnold Martines, thank you for being here.
A
Arnold Martines0:19
Thank you, Gino, very much.
H
Host0:21
So up for a very exciting soon. Tell us about your plans and your ambitions for that yet.
A
Arnold Martines0:29
So I'm really excited about the opportunity to serve as CEO of Central Pacific Bank. And I've been there almost 19 years. It really is home for me. And I'm so humbled that I can work side by side with my fellow employees to continue the tradition of exceptional service to our customers and of course, the continued support of the community that the bank has always been a beacon for local people, local businesses, and successful careers for the professionals who work there.
H
Host1:00
And people from the Big Island might find you particularly inspiring. Raised in part in Honokaa High. I believe you even know where that is. Never blink your eyes. It's a really small community.
A
Arnold Martines1:15
You know, I grew up during the time of the sugar plantation. So it was kind of the last inning of the sugar plantation. And so it was a wonderful place to grow up. It was a place where everybody knew each other and everybody took care of each other. And a lot of those values of helping each other and working with each other and trying to do good things stays with me today and really is part of how I look at leadership. And I hope that will definitely be leading Central Pacific Bank.
H
Host1:50
That's very inspiring to come from that. Went on to University of Hawaii Manoa for your business degree as well. So again, local education through and through. To those out there who are watching and find that local story but may be intimidated by a career in finance, what do you want to say to kids out there and students who are thinking about it but not sure of the next steps?
A
Arnold Martines2:13
Sure. You know, I'd say anything in life, you have to try something. You have to be willing to stick your neck out and work. Ultimately, you know if it's the right thing that you want to do because it's going to make your heart sing. You have to be passionate about something in order to be good at something. And so I would say to the young people, find, you know, don't be afraid to explore. But find eventually the thing that makes your heart sing, and I'm sure they'll be very successful.
H
Host2:47
Now for you, you were sharing with me that one of your passions is small business, helping small businesses where you began your career with the bank. And then the pandemic struck and you were able to help them in a major way. Is that one of your proudest moments? Tell me about that.
A
Arnold Martines3:04
It certainly was a really proud moment. It's not just what we did to support the small businesses. We did over 870 million dollars in loans and helped over, I think, 11,000 small businesses in the state. But what was most heartwarming for me was how our staff came together 24/7 to be able to execute on this and to support those businesses and to support our community. So I'm really proud to be part of that effort and proud to have been part of the team that really came together and accomplished some really wonderful things on behalf of the people of Hawaii.
H
Host3:46
That's really remarkable to me, being the conduit to almost a billion dollars in relief program. Anything else you'd like the people of Hawaii to know about the bank, about yourself, and about the future for CPB?
A
Arnold Martines3:57
I just want to say thanks again for allowing me to be here, Gino. I appreciate it. And just say, you know, they can count on us to continue to do good things for customers, but also for the broader community. So we look forward to that responsibility in the community.