Financial Services >> CEO Interviews >> February 17, 2015
Min J. Kim, 55, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Open Bank, and also serves as a member of the board of directors of Open Bank since April of 2010. When she joined the bank, the bank was in serious condition and on the verge of being closed down by the regulators due to many weaknesses of the bank, including inadequate capital. Through her leadership and her efforts to provide stability during a challenging period for the bank, Open Bank maintained a sound financial condition, and she turned around the bank in two years. Now, the bank’s assets grew 500% from five years ago. Prior to this appointment, she served as a CEO of Nara Bank and Nara Bancorp from November of 2006 to January of 2010. In October of 2007, U.S. Banker recognized her as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Banking.” Ms. Kim started her career in banking upon graduating from the University of Southern California in 1982 with a degree in business administration. With over 33 years of banking experience, Ms. Kim has held a number of senior positions prior to joining Open Bank in 2010, which include Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Credit Officer and Chief Credit Administrator, among others. Through her career, Ms. Kim has held strong ties to the local community, working with a number of nonprofit organizations to benefit those in need. She currently serves as a member of the board for Open Stewardship Foundation and works with various local media/organizations to help the local community affairs. Profile
TWST: Please begin with an introduction to Open Bank, including some highlights about your history and an overview of current operations.
Ms. Kim: Our bank began in June of 2005 as