
DELIVERING THE TALENT YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS
Alaka‘i Executive Search identifies and secures talented leaders and executives for the Hawai‘i job market. Our goal is simple: to find and bring the best talent to Hawaii’s leading employers. Dedicated to enhancing Hawaii’s economic growth, Alaka‘i’s target industries include technology, finance, retail, energy, health care, and legal. We work on management opportunities in sales, marketing, operations, engineering, and finance/accounting. If you’re looking for qualified, proven professionals who will propel your business forward, we’re here to find them.
EXPERIENCE + EXPERTISE TO HIRE WITH CONFIDENCE

ERIC HEENAN 
President
eric@alakaisearch.com
+1 (808) 379-8586
Prior to founding Alaka‘i Executive Search in 2017, Eric Heenan spent twenty years working in executive search and IT sales in Japan. Most recently, Eric led the technology team at JAC International, part of the JAC Group, one of the nation’s largest search firms. Prior to JAC, Eric worked for Cisco, Apple, EMC and was the Japan Country Manager for two $200M + companies.

SEAN MCCORMICK 
Vice President, Business Development
sean@alakaisearch.com
+1 (808) 900-7129
Sean was born and raised in Hawai‘i and given a great opportunity to explore his interests on the mainland for 24 years before returning home so he could raise his daughter closer to her grandparents and extended family.

YUKI MATSUURA 
Director, Recruiting and HR Solutions
yuki@alakaisearch.com
+1 (808) 319-3847
Yuki brings 15 years of global HR and recruiting experience to the Alaka’i Executive Search team. She first came to the U.S. as a foreign exchange student in high school, fell in love with the people, and ended up staying the next 10 years through college and her first two jobs.

JILL MIIKO LEE 
Director, Client Services
jill@alakaisearch.com
+1 (808) 478-0345
Jill Miiko Lee is a serial entrepreneur and has started two different businesses here. Her first business was in telecommunications and she led a sales team of fifteen individuals and sub-agents, achieving record sales for a period of ten years. After she sold her first business and attended culinary school, she founded and developed Honolulu Gourmet Foods.

KĒHAULANI CHRISTIAN TAKENISHI 
Director
kehau@alakaisearch.com
+1 (808) 371-9899
Born and raised in Hawaii, Kehau has been fortunate to have diverse opportunities across both the non-profit and corporate sectors. She recently underwent a career transition from sales to executive recruiting. After 20 years in business development, she was ready for a new challenge and wanted to find a role that allows her to leverage her skills in a new way.

GREGORY HU 
Senior Recruiter
greg@alakaisearch.com
+1 (732) 476-9611
Greg joins the Alaka’i Executive Search team after 12 years of agency recruitment work on behalf of investment bank and hedge fund clients in New York City. He has been living in Honolulu since 2021, and is excited to bring his experience to helping local Hawaii companies find talent.

April Gonzalez 
Recruiter
april@alakaisearch.com
+1 (808) 436-1965
Originally from California, April was fortunate enough to move to Hawaii in 2019 through her career in medical sales. She consistently surpassed targets, developed exceptional relationship building abilities, and significantly impacted patient lives. With a recently completed MBA, she brings a unique combination of relationship management expertise and strategic business acumen to the world of executive recruitment.

KORI BRIONES 
Junior Recruiter
kori@alakaisearch.com
+1 (808) 561-6533
Kori Briones is a local girl who is passionate about Hawaii’s culture, surfing, food and people. She is fortunate to be able to raise her three kids here surrounded by family and friends.
“Eric has been a trusted executive search partner of mine for over 15 years. In Tokyo, when I was the CEO for IBM Japan and Hitachi Consulting, he helped me find high-impact, senior-level IT and consulting talent. In Hawaii he has been helping CPB recruit executive leaders across various functions. Eric is always hard working and committed and successfully leverages his national and global network and experience. I think he’s one of the best executive search recruiters around and I highly commend and recommend him.”
Paul Yonamine
Executive Chairman of Central Pacific Bank and Chairman & CEO of Central Pacific Financial Corporation
“I started out as a networking connection with Eric shortly after I arrived in Honolulu from the SF Bay Area. It was only a couple of days later that I became a client when he called me regarding an opportunity with Bank of Hawaii. A couple of months later I’m at BOH and Eric is a friend and professional resource. He has a tremendous amount of experience in the tech space, working globally, and in the local Hawaii job market. Eric was great to work with from the candidate perspective…always maintained contact and kept me apprised throughout the process. He treated me as I would want any prospective employee to be treated. Eric is a consummate professional and I would not hesitate to contact him first for any recruiting needs I might have. And I would highly recommend him to any organization in need of capable, professional, and knowledgeable recruiting support.”
Ed Hudson
Chief Human Resources Officer, Central Pacific Bank
“Eric did a fantastic job of sourcing and placing suitable candidates for BEI Hawaii. His attention to detail and his ability to quickly formulate a profile of the skills and personality types we were seeking, was phenomenal. At no stage did I get the sense that he was presenting candidates, simply for the sake of it. I find Eric very personable, clear minded and straight forward to deal with.”
James Saulez
President, KOA Process
EXECUTIVE SEARCH DONE RIGHT
Alaka‘i Executive Search focuses on Hawai‘i’s most competitive industries including technology, finance, retail, energy, health care and legal. We find and place the talented professionals that will propel your organization. We believe executive recruiting firms should understand your goals and deliver upon your requirements. We help you drive lasting business success – today, tomorrow, and for years to come.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Connecting your business with the talent you need.
FOR CANDIDATES
Work with an executive recruiter who focuses on you and your career.
RECENT JOBS
- Chief Human Resources Officer (Banking)
- SVP, Operations (Banking)
- Hotel GM (Real Estate Development)
- Chief Administrative Officer (nonprofit)
- Chief Operating Officer (Real Estate)
- Director of IT (Retail)
- VP, Branch Operations (Retail)
- Director of Engineering (Hospitality)
CONTACT US
725 Kapiolani Blvd. Suite C441
Honolulu, HI 96813
PH +1 (808) 379-8586