CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP 8-K

What Happened Cathay General Bancorp (and Cathay Bank) announced that long-time Chief Financial Officer Heng W. Chen will retire as CFO and Company Treasurer effective March 1, 2026. Mr. Chen has served as the Company’s CFO since 2003 and Cathay Bank’s CFO since 2004. He will continue as Special Advisor to the Office of the President for Cathay Bank through December 31, 2026 and will no longer be a designated executive officer. In that advisory role he will receive $15,000 per month through December 31, 2026.

Succeeding Mr. Chen, Albert J. Wang (age 50) will become Chief Financial Officer of Cathay Bank and Treasurer of Cathay General Bancorp effective March 1, 2026. Mr. Wang joined Cathay Bank in September 2025 as Executive Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer and brings over 28 years of finance and accounting experience at institutions including Webster Bank, Banc of California, Santander, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a certified public accountant.

Key Details

• Heng W. Chen retirement effective: March 1, 2026; advisory role through December 31, 2026.
• Advisory compensation for Chen: $15,000 per month through December 31, 2026.
• Albert J. Wang appointment effective: March 1, 2026; expected base salary: $500,000 plus cash/equity bonus opportunities consistent with predecessor.
• Wang is expected to enter the Company’s standard change-of-control employment agreement; no family or reportable related-party relationships disclosed.

Why It Matters A CFO transition at a publicly traded bank is a material leadership change that can affect investor confidence in financial reporting, strategy, and continuity. Cathay is naming an experienced successor with significant industry accounting and banking credentials, and the filing details compensation and change-of-control protections that clarify management continuity and cost expectations for investors.