Emi Au
Chief Financial Officer
HawaiiUSA Federal Credit union
Emi Au is a Mentor Hawaii Cohort 10 mentor. Learn more about the program here.
About Emi
Emi Au was born and raised in southern California. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Accounting and Accounting Information Systems, she moved to Hawaii and started her career in public accounting at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. After obtaining her CPA license, she entered the financial services industry at First Hawaiian Bank, and was responsible for building out the Sarbanes-Oxley 404 controls program, developing the Bank’s accounting policies (including International Accounting Standards), and overseeing their financial reporting group. Since then, she has held various Finance positions at First Hawaiian Bank, Central Pacific Bank, and American Savings Bank. She is currently the CFO at HawaiiUSA FCU, one of the largest credit unions in the State of Hawaii.
Au currently serves as the Hawaii Regional Chair of U.S. Japan Council. She was a part of the inaugural class of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance (2016), an alumni of the Pacific Century Fellows program (2022), named Pacific Business News’ “40 Under 40” (2017), Hawaii Business Magazine’s “20 for the Next 20” (2020) and “Women Who Mean Business” (2023). She is also a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School (2013) at the University of Washington’s Graduate School of Business where she received honors and her management thesis was published in the Banking School Library.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cats and foster kittens.
Question and Answer with Emi
What is your preferred communication style when mentoring (in-person, video conference, phone, informal check-ins, structured meetings, etc.).
In-Person Meeting, Video-Conference
Why do you want to become a mentor in this program?
I hope that my personal and professional journey can resonate with others. I have personally gained a lot from my mentor relationships and, in turn, want to give back. Also, I feel that there is an opportunity to also learn from my mentee as well – so a true two-way relationship.
What specific skills, knowledge or experience can you share with your mentee?
Professionally- anything related to Finance (budget, forecasting, reporting, accounting, operations, controls). In addition, how to communicate with others and influence change. Personally, I can share the ongoing and constant management of balancing work and personal life.
What are your expectations for a mentor-mentee relationship?
I hope that it truly becomes a two-way beneficial relationship. Hopefully we can continue discussions post the program, and stay in touch.
How do you approach problem-solving and conflict resolution?
I like to discuss things immediately, but after putting in a lot of preparation work, including role playing. I don’t like issues to sit, and prefer to get them out in the open. Also, I like to approach problem solving with an open mind, and truly like to understand the other party’s point of view. Normally, when you approach problem solving as simply talking something through- you realize you both want the same solution.
How do you envision success for your mentee, and how will you measure it during the program?
I think it depends on the mentee and what they want to work on. However, I think it is good to get this clarified in the first meeting to properly set up expectations and responsibilities on both ends.
