Good evening, everyone.

It’s truly a privilege to be with you tonight, and an even greater honor to speak about someone I’ve come to know personally and professionally through our shared service on the USC Board of Trustees: Dominic Ng.

Dominic is everyone’s friend. Dominic is a ‘banker’s banker’!

Dominic is more than a business leader. He’s a visionary philanthropist.

Born in Hong Kong, Dominic has called Los Angeles home for more than four decades. Since 1992, he has served as CEO of East West Bank, where his leadership has been nothing short of transformational. The entity he joined in 1992 was a savings and loan with $600 million in assets; today it’s a global publicly listed commercial bank with over $76 billion in assets. It’s also been named the best-performing large bank in the United
States.

In recognition of his leadership and impact, President Biden appointed Dominic in 2022 to chair the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council—a role that speaks volumes about his vision and influence on the global stage.

But what truly distinguishes Dominic is the depth of his civic and cultural engagement.

His nearly 30-year partnership with the United Way of Greater Los Angeles is a masterclass in thoughtful giving. When he became chair of the local chapter, he dared to challenge the status quo. Instead of directing funds solely to large institutions, he shifted focus toward smaller, grassroots organizations tackling poverty and housing insecurity head-on. It was bold. It was unconventional. And it worked. In 2000, under his leadership, the United Way raised a record-breaking $66 million—and Dominic’s innovative approach went on to influence United Way chapters nationwide. He was later honored with United Way Worldwide’s highest accolade, the Alexis de Tocqueville Award.
His passion for giving doesn’t stop there.

Dominic has been a champion of the arts in every form:

• In visual arts, through partnerships with institutions like LACMA, MOCA, the Bowers Museum, and The Broad.
• In cultural preservation, through his support of The Huntington’s Chinese Garden—now the largest of its kind outside Asia.
• In film, via a collaboration with Gold House and the Sundance Institute, to amplify historically underrepresented voices in cinema. He also served on the board of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

And then, of course, there’s music—a deeply personal passion.

Dominic has played guitar since his college days, and through his love of rock and roll, struck up an unlikely friendship with Don Felder, former lead guitarist of the Eagles. In 2006, Dominic encouraged Don to unite fellow musicians for a benefit concert supporting Hurricane Katrina victims. That single spark led to something remarkable — Don’s return to the stage and the launch of his solo career, which Don himself credits to Dominic’s inspiration.

A connector.
A catalyst.
A leader who lifts up others and helps them see what’s possible—sometimes before they see it themselves.
And, of course, Dominic and the East West Bank Foundation have been very …

And just a personal note off the teleprompter before I finish.

I took the liberty yesterday to visit the Beverly Hills Branch of East West Bank to ask a few folks what it was really like to work with Dominic.

Among the many remarkable stories they told me, the one that stood out the most was Dominic’s leadership during the darkest days of the pandemic, When other banks were turning away their customers who needed to apply for their PPP loans, Dominic told every employee “we will help everyone who walks in the door”, whether or not they are a customer.

This meant long nights for the staff, often until midnight, processing the paperwork to ensure these organizations received their loans in order to keep making payroll.

That’s the kind of leader we’re honoring tonight. It is with deep admiration and gratitude that I ask you to join me in welcoming the recipient of the Wallis Inaugural Icon Award:

Dominic Ng.