How does your hospitality background inform your leadership at the Hawai‘i Convention Center?
I think my strength is that I’ve never managed a convention center before. I came from the hotel industry, so I come with strong service values and a fresh set of eyes. I tend to look at things from a different perspective. I am always looking at ways to evolve our business model to generate more offshore visitors and improve the service they receive once here.
What are some programs and initiatives you’ve spearheaded or a key accomplishment you’ve had either at the Convention Center or in a previous position?
One of the largest initiatives I spearheaded was the vision to use our venue to host offshore sporting events, like volleyball, basketball and futsal tournaments. I put a business plan together with two years of research and was given approval by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority to purchase $1.1 million in sporting equipment. This move put us on the map! I traveled for those two years soliciting sports directors to hold their tournaments at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. We now host five to seven different sporting events here annually and have paid off our initial investment a few times over. Not to mention we are helping stimulate our economy by bringing in visitors from the mainland, neighbor islands and internationally.
“Our industry, product and customer evolve every day, and so should we.”
What does it take to be an effective leader?
Vision, communication, collaboration and, most importantly, evolution. It takes a village to make things happen and to make them happen with everyone’s buy-in. Our team here all shares the same vision for where we see our business and services evolving in the next five to 10 years. We all work together to ensure that we are constantly evolving and keeping relevant in our market. Our industry, product and customer evolve every day, and so should we.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is to stick to your values and stay true to who you are, morally and ethically. I’ve never compromised that to get something or somewhere. I believe in always doing what’s right and treating others with the utmost respect. Live aloha!
Describe yourself in three words.
Generous, kind, humble.
What is your favorite quality in a colleague or employee?
Trustworthiness.
Least-favorite quality?
Penchant for gossip.
