Velarion · Company Intelligence
Compensation Brief
Fiscal year 2025 · Filings through 2026-04-22

Preferred Bank (PFBC)

Fiscal year 2025 executive and director compensation, incentive-plan design, equity activity, and governance — every figure in this brief is traceable to its exact location in the company’s SEC filing — the document, the section, the page, and the table, linked directly.

$4,467,850
Li Yu total, FY2025
80th
CEO pay percentile vs peers
CEO-to-median pay ratio
Say-on-pay support, latest vote
Companies that benchmark against PFBC
6 companies name PFBC as a compensation peer

Each company listed discloses PFBC in its own benchmarking peer group, as disclosed in each company's most recent proxy statement within the last two proxy seasons. Two companies are therefore absent by design: one that named PFBC in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.

01

Summary Compensation Table — fiscal year 2025

Named executive officerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension / NQDCAll otherTotal
Li Yu$1,010,001$0$2,266,320$0$1,173,460$0$18,069$4,467,850
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Wellington Chen698,6680509,9220619,693046,7931,875,076
President and Chief Operating Officer
Edward Czajka501,6670330,5050394,037017,7001,243,909
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Nick Pi460,2680330,5050346,320017,7001,154,793
Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer
Johnny Hsu395,8180330,5050299,574017,7001,043,597
Executive Vice President, Deputy Chief Operating Officer

A dash means the company reported no figure in that column; 0 means it reported zero. Figures are as printed in the filing, without adjustment.

Three-year trend — total compensation per named executive

Named executive officerFY2025 totalFY2024 totalFY2023 totalΔ FY20242025
Li Yu$4,467,850$4,719,822
Wellington Chen1,875,0761,774,462+100,614
Edward Czajka1,243,9091,157,686+86,223
Nick Pi1,154,7931,074,838+79,955
Johnny Hsu1,043,597957,801+85,796

Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.

02

Equity transactions since the proxy statement was filed

No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.

05

Incentive-plan design — the Compensation Discussion & Analysis

to attract, motivate and retain the best leaders in our industry to ensure we execute on our business strategy, promote both short-and long-term growth of the Bank in a safe and sound manner, and create long-term shareholder value, all grounded in the following guiding principles: Pay for Performance, Shareholder Alignment, Attraction and Retention

CEO STI target (% of salary)
CEO LTI target (% of salary)
Independent consultantPearl Meyer & Partners, LLC
Clawback policyTrue
Anti-hedgingFalse
Anti-pledgingFalse
08

Director compensation — fiscal year 2025

DirectorCash feesStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveAll otherTotal
J. Richard BellistonIndependent · Audit Committee (Chair) · Compensation Committee$87,500$120,887$0$0$0$208,387
Gary S. NunnellyIndependent · Audit Committee · Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee · Loan Committee (Chair)82,000120,887000202,887
Clark HsuIndependent · Compensation Committee (Chair) · Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (Chair) · Loan Committee77,000120,887000197,887
William C. Y. ChengIndependent · Audit Committee · Investment Committee (Chair) · Loan Committee76,500120,887000197,387
Kathleen ShaneIndependent · Audit Committee · Loan Committee · Investment Committee73,000120,887000193,887
Wayne WuIndependent · Compensation Committee61,500120,887000182,387
Chih-Wei WuIndependent · Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee · Investment Committee50,000120,887000170,887
Li YuEmployee director · Board Chair · Loan Committee00000
09b

Total cost of the board

ComponentFY2025
Cash retainers and fees$507,500
Equity awards (grant-date value)$846,209
All other compensation$0
Total cost of the board$1,353,709

Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.

10

Disclosed peer group — fiscal year 2025

The compensation peer group as the company disclosed it in its own proxy — the reference set behind the percentile above.

10a

Peer reciprocity

Of the companies Preferred Bank names as compensation peers, which name it back in their own disclosed peer groups. A peer set the market reciprocates reads differently from one selected in a single direction.

Reciprocity shown where the peer's own current proxy has been read — each mark is cited in the register to that peer's filing. A dash means the peer's current proxy was read and names no reciprocal group including Preferred Bank.

10b

Chief executive pay against the peer group

Most recent fiscal-year chief executive compensation at each disclosed peer, taken from that company's own proxy statement.

RankCompanyFYChief executiveSalaryStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveTotal
1Banc of California2025Jared Wolff$1,050,000$2,713,668$0$1,431,675$5,303,882
2Pacific Premier Bancorp2024Steven Gardner950,0002,618,9550997,5004,682,495
3Preferred Bank2025Li Yu1,010,0012,266,32001,173,4604,467,850
4First Foundation, Inc.2024Thomas Shafer132,7553,880,000004,013,755
5CVB Financial Corp.2025David Brager928,8461,647,0070883,5003,803,565
6Banner Corporation2025Mark Grescovich949,8161,327,27601,147,3663,590,983
7Bank of Marin Bancorp2025Timothy Myers693,250560,015001,930,086
8Sierra Bancorp2025Kevin McPhaill665,635495,226001,897,622
9Heritage Commerce Corp.2024Robertson Clay Jones660,261678,5770306,0001,694,339
10Heritage Financial Corporation2025Bryan McDonald610,616256,6320356,8521,345,480
11Westamerica Bancorporation2025David Payne371,00000400,000802,645

Each peer's compensation is from its most recently filed proxy; fiscal years differ by company. Each peer's figures come from its own filings; the subject company is highlighted. Peers whose chief executive compensation is outside our coverage universe are stated as such, never left blank.

10c

Incentive design against the same peers

CompanyAnnual incentive payoutLong-term vehicle mixPSU measures include TSRCompensation consultant
Preferred Banknot disclosedPSU 50 · RSU 50NoPearl Meyer & Partners, LLC
Banc of Californianot disclosedPSU 50 · RSU 50Yes — total shareholder return (TSR)Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC
Bank of Marin Bancorp112%PSU 62 · RSU 38NoPearl Meyer & Partners
Banner Corporation110%PSU 60 · RSU 40Yes — Total Shareholder Return (TSR)Pearl Meyer & Partners
CVB Financial Corp.95%PSU 50 · RSU 50NoPearl Meyer
First Foundation, Inc.0%RSU 100not disclosedPearl Meyer
Heritage Commerce Corp.45%RSU 50 · PSU 50NoMeridian Compensation Partners
Heritage Financial Corporation121%PSU 50 · RSU 50NoPearl Meyer
Pacific Premier Bancorp105%RSU 50 · PSU 50Yes — Relative Total Shareholder Return (rTSR)Meridian Compensation Partners
Sierra Bancorp100.385%RSU 100NoPearl Meyer
Westamerica Bancorporation111%not disclosedNonot disclosed

Read from each company's Compensation Discussion and Analysis: annual incentive payout as a percentage of target, the disclosed long-term vehicle mix, whether performance-share measures include a total shareholder return component, and the retained compensation consultant. “Not disclosed” appears only where the company's filing does not state the item.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who was the highest-paid executive at Preferred Bank in fiscal 2025?
As disclosed, the highest-paid executive at Preferred Bank in fiscal 2025 was Li Yu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, with total compensation of $4,467,850.
How does Preferred Bank's chief executive pay compare to its disclosed peer group?
The filing shows that the CEO's pay percentile among disclosed peers was the 80th percentile.
What is Preferred Bank's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio?
The CEO-to-median employee pay ratio is not disclosed in this extract.
How did shareholders vote on Preferred Bank's executive compensation?
The say-on-pay support for the latest vote is not disclosed in this extract.
How much does Preferred Bank spend in total on board compensation for fiscal 2025?
The total board compensation for fiscal 2025 was $1,353,709.

Answers are drawn only from the figures disclosed in this brief and cited to their location in the source filing. Where a figure required for an answer is not disclosed, that is stated rather than estimated.

11

Source register

Each figure's location is given both for the eye (section · page · table · row · column) and for a script (table/row/column index and exact character span in the filed document). Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.

#SupportsDocumentFiledAccessionLocation in document
1Section 01, Li YuDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 4,467,850. Filing ↗
2Section 01, Wellington ChenDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 1,875,076. Filing ↗
3Section 01, Edward CzajkaDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 1,243,909. Filing ↗
4Section 01, Nick PiDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 1,154,793. Filing ↗
5Section 01, Johnny HsuDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Executive Compensation”. As printed: 1,043,597. Filing ↗
6Section 08, J. Richard BellistonDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 208,387. Filing ↗
7Section 08, Gary S. NunnellyDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 202,887. Filing ↗
8Section 08, Clark HsuDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 197,887. Filing ↗
9Section 08, William C. Y. ChengDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 197,387. Filing ↗
10Section 08, Kathleen ShaneDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 193,887. Filing ↗
11Section 08, Wayne WuDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 182,387. Filing ↗
12Section 08, Chih-Wei WuDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 170,887. Filing ↗
13Section 08, Li YuDEF 14A2026-04-13Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗
14Section 01 trend, Δ column (computed)ComputedcomputedΔ = current-FY total − prior-FY total per named officer.machine: formula: Δ = FY(n) − FY(n−1)
15Section 09b board cost (computed)ComputedcomputedCash 507,500 + equity 846,209 + all other 0 = 1,353,709, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 1,353,709
16Banc of California, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-03-260001628280-26-021447CEO total compensation as printed in Banc of California's own proxy. As printed: 5,303,882. Filing ↗machine: span 901949–901958
17Pacific Premier Bancorp, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2025-04-070001558370-25-004551CEO total compensation as printed in Pacific Premier Bancorp's own proxy. As printed: 4,682,495. Filing ↗machine: t156 · r6 · c26 · span 1372089–1372098
18Preferred Bank (subject), Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-13CEO total compensation as printed in Preferred Bank's own proxy. As printed: 4,467,850. Filing ↗
19First Foundation, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2025-04-170001104659-25-036041CEO total compensation as printed in First Foundation, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 4,013,755. Filing ↗machine: r1 · c41 · span 687747–687756
20CVB Financial Corp., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-070001193125-26-144078CEO total compensation as printed in CVB Financial Corp.'s own proxy. As printed: 3,803,565. Filing ↗machine: r5 · c18 · span 2182555–2182564
21Banner Corporation, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-060000946673-26-000114CEO total compensation as printed in Banner Corporation's own proxy. As printed: 3,590,983. Filing ↗machine: t86 · r3 · c14 · span 600291–600300
22Bank of Marin Bancorp, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-220001104659-26-046455CEO total compensation as printed in Bank of Marin Bancorp's own proxy. As printed: 1,930,086. Filing ↗machine: t116 · r5 · c14 · span 1084023–1084032
23Sierra Bancorp, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-070001104659-26-040182CEO total compensation as printed in Sierra Bancorp's own proxy. As printed: 1,897,622. Filing ↗machine: span 346414–346423
24Heritage Commerce Corp., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2025-04-070001104659-25-032651CEO total compensation as printed in Heritage Commerce Corp.'s own proxy. As printed: 1,694,339. Filing ↗machine: span 912788–912797
25Heritage Financial Corporation, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-03-200001628280-26-019987CEO total compensation as printed in Heritage Financial Corporation's own proxy. As printed: 1,345,480. Filing ↗machine: r5 · c24 · span 657550–657559
26Westamerica Bancorporation, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-03-130001174947-26-000355CEO total compensation as printed in Westamerica Bancorporation's own proxy. As printed: 802,645. Filing ↗machine: t148 · r1 · c31 · span 344276–344283
27Section 10a, Heritage Financial Corporation reciprocityDEF 14A0001628280-26-019987Heritage Financial Corporation's most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
28Section 10a, Westamerica Bancorporation reciprocityDEF 14A0001174947-26-000355Westamerica Bancorporation's most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
29Section 10a, Banc of California reciprocityDEF 14A0001628280-26-021447Banc of California's most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
30Section 10a, Banner Corporation reciprocityDEF 14A0000946673-26-000114Banner Corporation's most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
31Section 10a, Bank of Marin Bancorp reciprocityDEF 14A0001104659-26-046455Bank of Marin Bancorp names Preferred Bank in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). Filing ↗
32Section 10a, CVB Financial Corp. reciprocityDEF 14A0001193125-26-144078CVB Financial Corp.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
33Section 10a, First Foundation, Inc. reciprocityDEF 14A0001104659-25-036041First Foundation, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
34Section 10a, Heritage Commerce Corp. reciprocityDEF 14A0001104659-25-032651Heritage Commerce Corp.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
35Section 10a, Pacific Premier Bancorp reciprocityDEF 14A0001558370-25-004551Pacific Premier Bancorp's most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Preferred Bank. Filing ↗
36Section 10a, Sierra Bancorp reciprocityDEF 14A0001104659-26-040182Sierra Bancorp names Preferred Bank in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). Filing ↗