First Hawaiian Inc. executive Christopher Dods, whose family ties with the financial institution date back to the days when his father was chairman and CEO, has been named vice chairman and chief operating officer of the holding company and its bank subsidiary.

Dods, 46, has worked in several positions at First Hawaiian during his 14 years at the state’s largest bank. He most recently was executive vice president, digital banking and marketing group. Dods will start in his new position May 1.

In his new role, Dods will oversee the bank’s enterprise operations services, enterprise technology management, information technology, digital banking, marketing and communications, and the card services division. He joined First Hawaiian in 2007 and has experience in the areas of consumer banking, digital banking, marketing, communications and payments. He currently leads the bank’s digital transformation strategy.

“Chris has been leading significant initiatives in digital banking, card services and the marketing areas of First Hawaiian,” said First Hawaiian Chairman, President and CEO Bob Harrison. “He has an incredible work ethic and is passionate about transforming the bank to better serve our customers.”

Dods’ succession as a career banker follows in the footsteps of his father, Walter, who served in the bank’s top position for 15 years before retiring in 2004 after a 36-year career.

“Having grown up with First Hawaiian Bank, the opportunity to join the bank 14 years ago and work alongside this dynamic team has been a true privilege,” Dods said. “I’m looking forward to working with Bob in this new capacity as we continue the bank’s 162-year history of building relationships with our customers and connecting them with the services and resources that can assist them with their financial needs.”

First Hawaiian also announced that it has promoted Neill Char to retail banking group executive vice president, effective May 1. Char, 50, who was named in August to the bank’s senior management committee as executive vice president and commercial banking group manager, will succeed Mitchell Nishimoto, who is retiring July 1 after a 35-year career at the bank. In his new role, Char will continue to lead the commercial banking group and also oversee First Hawaiian’s branch network in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.

Nishimoto, who was vice chairman of the retail banking group, will stay on through June to assist with the transition.

“Mitchell has been an exceptional leader throughout his remarkable career at First Hawaiian,” Harrison said. “Under his stewardship the retail banking group has successfully navigated an unprecedented amount of change. It is truly a testament to Mitchell’s management philosophy and practice that First Hawaiian Bank has continued to be recognized as one of Hawaii’s Best Places to Work, helping us grow to a $22.7 billion bank in 2021.”

First Hawaiian is scheduled to release its first-quarter earnings today before the stock market opens.