First Hawaiian Bank Chief Financial Officer Michael Ching is stepping down from his position effective Jan. 31 but will continue to assist the company on a consulting basis during the transition.

Eric Yeaman, president and chief operating officer, will serve as acting CFO as the company conducts a search for a permanent replacement.

Ching, 46, joined the company in June 2015 and played a key role in the bank’s transition from a subsidiary of French banking giant BNP Paribas to a publicly traded company. The newly formed company, First Hawaiian Inc., had an initial public offering in August 2016.

“Mike has played an integral role at First Hawaiian,” Chairman and CEO Bob Harrison said today. “We will miss his expertise, great sense of humor and collaborative nature.”

Ching, who did not give a reason for his departure, said leaving the bank “will be very difficult.”

“It’s been exciting to be a part of First Hawaiian’s journey over the last 2-1/2 years, especially the work and development that went into the execution of the company’s successful IPO,” he said. “I am looking forward to applying the experience I have gained in this process as I take on my next exciting venture.”