YP Exec Connect with Leonard Isotoff, Kuhio Lewis and Suzanne Vares-Lum Sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Exclusive luncheon event for YP members only!

Join the YPs for this intimate lunch event with three of Hawaii's premier business leaders.

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, join us to meet three Asian American and Pacific Islander executives to hear about their professional journeys and leadership lessons on diversity and resiliency. 

This is open to current YP members only and limited to only eight YP members per executive. Sign up NOW to attend this great "talk story" luncheon.


Leonard P. Isotoff
Senior Vice President, Pacific and Executive Vice President
Matson Terminals
 
Leonard P. Isotoff was promoted to senior vice president of the Pacific division of Matson and executive vice president of Matson Terminals and named senior vice president of Matson in April 2022. He oversees all aspects of Matson’s operations in our core market, Hawaii, plus the Guam/Micronesia, Okinawa, and South Pacific trades. In addition, he represents Matson in leadership roles related to port modernization and infrastructure projects involving Matson in Hawaii and Guam.
 
Since joining the company in 1999 as a project manager for Matson Logistics Solutions in Guam, Isotoff has risen through the ranks to leadership positions at Matson, including Guam logistics manager for Matson Logistics, Guam sales and customer service manager, sales manager for the Pacific Northwest region, container operations manager in Hawaii, general manager for Guam/Micronesia, and Pacific sales director, responsible for Hawaii and South Pacific business development. In 2016 he was promoted to vice president, sales, Hawaii, responsible for all marketing and sales activities in Hawaii.
 
Isotoff has a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Oregon State University.


Kuhio Lewis
Chief Executive Officer
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

Kuhio Lewis is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the cultural, economic, political, and community development for Native Hawaiians. CNHA’s annual budget stands at $90 million with approximately 100 employees.

Kuhio is responsible for the establishment and administration of the Hawaiian Trades Academy, the online marketplace Pop-Up Makeke, the KuHana Business Program, nationally-recognized emergency rental assistance programs, and a $16 million dollar loan fund. Kuhio is also the head of the annual Native Hawaiian Convention, which convenes the largest gathering of Native Hawaiians in the country with over 1,700 attendees.

Kuhio is a single father living in the Kanehili Homestead in Kapolei.  He has received a number of awards including Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20 honoree, Pacific Business News 40 for the next 40, and 2023 Book of List Power Leader.


Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum
President
East-West Center

Ms. Suzanne (Suzy) Puanani Vares-Lum took office as President of the East-West Center in January 2022. She is the first woman and Native Hawaiian to be chosen for this role since the Center’s establishment in 1960. Prior to her current role, she retired as Major General with 34 years of service, and started her own company Vares-Lum Indo-Pacific Consulting, LLC.

As a community leader, Vares-Lum serves on a variety of non-profit boards, including the American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region, Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, and the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research. She is a current member of the U.S.-Japan Council.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and her Master of Education in Teaching from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. As a graduate of the US Army War College, she earned a Master of Strategic Studies degree in 2011. In 2019, she became a National Security Fellow of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She is also an alumna of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. In addition to her military and community awards, she is the recipient of the 2023 Girl Scouts of Hawaii Women of Distinction Award and a 2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Awardee.