HOPE BANCORP Business Summary

Hope Bancorp Inc. (HOPE) serves as the holding company for Bank of Hope, the premier Korean-American regional bank in the U.S., generating revenue primarily through net interest income from a $14.8 billion loan portfolio and noninterest income from SBA loan sales, service fees, and interest rate swap commissions. Its core business segments include commercial real estate (CRE) lending—which accounts for over 50% of its loan book—commercial and industrial (C&I) banking, and residential mortgages, recently expanded via the 2025 acquisition of Territorial Bancorp. Operating across 17 states and Hawaii, the company occupies a dominant niche in the multicultural financial services market. It competes directly with mid-sized regional players such as QCR Holdings, Inc., Byline Bancorp, Inc., and Dime Community Bancshares, Inc., distinguishing itself as the only ethnic-focused regional bank with a national footprint tailored to high-density Asian-American markets. The modern entity was architected by Chairman, President, and CEO Kevin S. Kim, a former corporate attorney and CPA who spearheaded the 2016 merger of BBCN Bancorp and Wilshire Bancorp, which trace their origins to community-led institutions like Nara Bank, founded in 1989 by Benjamin Hong. Current key leadership includes Executive VP and CFO Julianna Balicka, a Wharton alumna and former lead analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, and Senior EVP and COO Peter J. Koh, who oversees strategy and credit administration. The board is anchored by Lead Independent Director Dale Zuehls, a specialist in forensic accounting and financial reporting. Notable institutional backers such as Wellington Management Group LLP and Fuller & Thaler Asset Management provide capital stability, supporting the bank’s mission as the leading financial partner for the Korean-American and broader multicultural communities.