Chair, Chief Executive
Preferred Bank
Li Yu founded Preferred Bank, a downtown Los Angeles-based bank, in 1991, which at the time was the largest initial capital raise for a new bank in California history. Now publicly traded, Preferred Bank has grown to $7.6 billion in assets as of 2025, making it one of the largest banks in L.A. County and expanding its presence in Northern California, Texas, and New York. Yu has led the institution as chief executive since 1993 and previously chaired California Pacific National Bank, which Bank of America later absorbed. He served as president of the National Association of Chinese American Bankers and remains a board member of UCLA’s Anderson School of Management – his alma mater.
YEARS ON LA500: 3 Years on the LA500
