BancWest Corporation is the holding company for two dynamic financial institutions: Bank of the West and First Hawaiian Bank. With combined assets of more than $70 billion, the two banks serve more than 4 million households and businesses through 747 branch banking locations and dozens of commercial banking offices in 20 Western and Midwestern states, Guam and Saipan. The banks have offshore locations in Tokyo, Japan, Taipei, Taiwan and Grand Cayman, West Indies.

BancWest Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas, a European leader in global banking and financial services and one of the 5 strongest banks in the world according to Standard & Poor’s. With assets of $1.9 trillion as of 12/31/06, BNP Paribas is a major provider of retail, commercial, insurance, investment and investment banking products and services throughout Europe. The group is present in over 85 countries, with 155,000 employees, including 15,000 in the United States. The group holds key positions in Corporate and Investment Banking; Asset Management & Services; and Retail Banking. Present throughout Europe in all of its business lines, BNP Paribas also has a significant presence in the United States and strong positions in Asia and the emerging markets.