How do you define success?

Success is being a dynamic thought leader and role model for others and having a positive impact on the global and local communities that I am part of. Being a servant leader who strives

to do good for society through my accomplishments and someone who balances work life and family life with dedication to both.

What do you hope to see in your industry in the next 10 years?

Working as a senior strategic advisor in the energy, environment, and ESG policy areas, I hope to see Hawai‘i continue to be a world leader in sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion. From our corner in the Pacific we are leading on clean energy, healthcare, and environmental policies.

We come from an indigenous Native Hawaiian host culture with deep respect for the land, people, and community. There is a very multicultural, multiethnic mix of people in our state, and that diversity brings richness. We live by the Native Hawaiian values of stewardship of land and caring for people.

Having more women leaders in key positions in business and government will make a positive difference too. Women are good strategic thinkers and effective listeners and collaborators who can accomplish strategic actions. Resilience requires being able to pivot, revise, reset, and improve actions for desired outcomes.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy being a problem solver who helps address challenges for an organization and works in growth industry areas with innovators and entrepreneurs. Meeting interesting people from all over the world and learning about their cultures and communities through my consultant work is also very rewarding.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing your industry?

First are climate change impacts that are not good for the environment, people, and the economic bottom line. It can disrupt supply chains, workforce, and critical infrastructure. As more activist investors influence board management, it is critical for organizations to undertake measurable actions to decarbonize operations and reduce environmental impacts to their supply chains.

The other key area is social. It is important in every sector that companies don’t just talk about aspirations—they must tangibly demonstrate diversity and equity. Today’s customers are prosumers and social media has become a powerful tool with significant impacts. Consciousness has been raised around justice and equity. It is a national issue that needs to be addressed.

What are some words of advice for an exit strategy?

If someone feels the need for a change in what they are doing professionally, then it’s good to handle such a transition as you would any other important work project. Diligently prepare and plan for it. Maximize other career opportunities with contacts in your network, analyze your career alternatives, and assess what unique skills you have that will be best utilized in the identified new endeavor.

What do you do for fun?

I am an enthusiastic ballroom dancesport competitor just like in the television show “Dancing With the Stars.” Competitive ballroom dancesport is great exercise for your body and mind and a healthy way to de-stress. I have always done dancing and love all types, including ballet, jazz, hip hop, salsa, hula, and Afro-Cuban dance.

Describe your ideal day.

My ideal day is one that starts with productive accomplishment of tasks and powering through emails, meetings and conference calls for clients and organization boards that I serve on. I like

to balance my day with focusing on personal health and physical well-being after work is done.

Having time to take a dance class or working out at the fitness center re-charges me with positive energy in mind and spirit, and good thoughts. I then have the evening spent with family to share the highlights of our day over dinner at a favorite restaurant and relaxing at home with our pet ‘ohana.

 What are some surprising lessons you learned in becoming a leader?

An unexpected lesson learned is most people are not solely driven by personal financial gain in undertaking difficult work. Often the strongest motivation for achieving good outcomes for projects that I have led is good teamwork and making people feel appreciated for their professionalism, diligence, and hard work. Also setting an example as a team leader is the most important factor in realizing optimal productivity and results.

As you reflect back on your life and career, would you change anything personally or professionally?

No. During one’s lifetime, there will be positive highlights and challenging experiences. My view is we learn from the negative experiences and mistakes made to become a stronger and better persons for having gone through them. All the things I have experienced in my career and personal life have made me who I am today.

What are two of the most important milestones of your career?

My career as a complex commercial and business litigation attorney gave me the skill sets as a leader to come into a crisis situation and turn around a critical challenge for the better. Such as when I was the first female Director of Labor for the State of Hawai‘i and addressed the deep economic recession from 1995-1998 which included plant closings, dislocation of workers in agriculture and tourism industries, and reductions in force in the public sector. We were able to leverage federal and state resources to assist dislocated workers, re-train community members for new jobs in economic growth sectors and facilitate sustainable development in new growth sectors like information technology.

As a Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commissioner, I was the only commissioner from Hawai‘i ever to serve on the Board of the National Association of Public Utility Regulatory Commissioners where I contributed at the national level on utility and regulatory policy matters. This national leadership role also involved me in global energy policy and regulatory work with international countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America, and with multilateral organizations like USAID, the U.S. State Department, Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank which I continue today in my consultancy practice.

How have you grown and pivoted in the past five years?

During the last five years, I have focused on building a strong and supportive network for women through my involvement in national and local professional organizations that empower and enable women to succeed. Having accomplished many of my career goals as a woman professional over the years, I am now dedicated to being a mentor to other women just starting their careers and helping them to achieve leadership positions in business and government.