Beth Whitehead

Executive Vice President &        
Chief Administrative Officer

As Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of American Savings Bank (ASB), Beth Whitehead champions ASB’s award-winning teammate experience and workplace culture. In her role, Beth leads ASB’s Human Resources, Learning and Development, Communications, Community Advancement, Corporate Real Estate, Corporate Security, Facilities Management, Bank Secrecy Act, Internal Audit, and Legal teams. She also oversees ASB’s Operations team, which is responsible for delivering integrated operations solutions and improving operational efficiency. Her teams develop benefits, programs and opportunities that attract, develop and retain top talent, while helping to protect and promote ASB’s unique brand in the community.

In 2019, Beth spearheaded the company’s move to its new ASB Campus, which brought together more than 650 teammates from five locations on Oahu in an innovative, collaborative workplace.

Under her leadership, ASB has been recognized both locally and nationally for its outstanding teammate experience. ASB has been recognized as a Hawaii Business Magazine Best Place to Work for 14 consecutive years, including placing #1 on the large employer list for Most Family-Friendly Company and Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality. Fortune Magazine named ASB one of the Best Workplaces for Women in 2015 and Best Places for Diversity in 2015, 2016 and 2019. ASB is the only Hawaii bank to be recognized eight times by American Banker Magazine as one of America’s Best Banks to Work For and named an America’s Greatest Workplace for Diversity and America’s Greatest Workplace for Mental Wellbeing by Newsweek.

Prior to joining ASB in 2008, Beth served as deputy general counsel of First Horizon National Corporation, a diversified financial service holding company, where she oversaw mergers and acquisitions and managed the legal division. She also served as general counsel at National Commerce Financial (NCF). While there, she served on the company's executive committee, managed mergers and acquisitions as well as coordinated integration teams for NCF's expansionary activities.

Beth has received the following recognitions for her leadership and community impact: Pacific Business News’ Women Who Mean Business (2013), Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20 (2015), Girl Scouts of Hawaii’s Women of Distinction Honoree (2016), YWCA’s LeaderLuncheon Honoree (2019) and Pacific Business News´ Business of Pride (2020). She was also selected as an Omidyar Fellow (Cohort IV).

Beth graduated with honors from both the University of Mississippi, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and from the University of Arkansas School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctorate. An active member of the community, Beth serves as the board chair for Girls Scouts of Hawaii and a board member for Child & Family Service and Hawaii Theatre Center. In 2016, she was appointed by Governor David Ige to the State of Hawaii Workforce Development Council. She also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Banking and Finance at University of North Carolina School of Law.