Pasadena-based East West Bancorp, the largest independent bank in the Los Angeles region, recently reshuffled its executive suite following the retirement of Brian Williams, its chief risk executive.

Irene Oh, who has been East West’s chief financial officer for more than 13 years, moved into Williams’s role this month. 

To fill her vacancy, the bank brought in a new talent from across the country. 

Christopher Del Moral-Niles left Wisconsin-based Associated Banc-Corp., where he led the bank’s asset growth from $22 billion to $36 billion over his 12-year stint, to join East West.

“These appointments further strengthen the breadth and depth of East West’s management team,” said Dominic Ng, the bank’s chairman and chief executive. “Their leadership will be integral in advancing the company’s risk-management capabilities and growth strategy.”

While the rankings of each role in the C-suite remains unclear, Moral-Niles will join an executive cohort long trusted by Ng.

Oh is the third longest-serving executive at the bank behind Douglas Krause, who has been the company’s vice chairman and chief corporate officer since 1997, and Ng, who joined the bank in 1991.

The appointments come in the wake of East West’s proactive measures to steer through the financial challenges anticipated by many analysts to appear in the latter half of this year. 

In its second-quarter earnings call, the bank projected a rise in noninterest expenses and announced provisions for credit losses, citing hiring plans and a changing economic outlook catalyzed by the failure of several regional banks amid market turmoil. 

The planned strategic investments in technology, operational infrastructure and hiring, including the onboarding of some bankers formerly employed by Silicon Valley Bank, are aimed at sustaining growth.