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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.

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Eric grew up in Honolulu, where he attended ‘Iolani School. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from U.C.L.A. and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Owen Graduate School of Business at Vanderbilt University. He also spent one year studying at Nanzan University in Nagoya and is fluent in Japanese.

Eric is a member of the U.S.-Japan Council and the TRUE Initiative. He previously served on the Boards of the ‘Iolani Alumni Association and the Filipino Community Center.

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.

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Sean’s career began in Engineering and then moved into Product Development where he was fortunate to meet many big thinkers, disruptors, and innovators along the way. He worked for various companies at different stages of their growth within the tech space. A few of those companies were able to take the market by storm and exit via acquisition and IPO.

One of the areas these leaders consistently embraced without fear is the willingness to adapt to the changing world around them. This constant change creates new opportunities where Sean can leverage his experience to help Hawai‘i find and develop transformative leaders that can grow the presence of sustainable, world class organizations in Hawai‘i.

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.

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She moved back to Japan to further pursue her passion in Human Resources, and spent 8 years in Tokyo and 2 years in Germany, helping organizations find talent(recruiting), keeping them happy (employee engagement), and bringing them to their best potential (talent development).

Her dream came true and she moved to the beautiful island of Oahu with her family two years ago. Yuki is a professional recruiter, who knows the full cycle of recruiting with in-depth knowledge of Human Resources and is looking forward to connecting top talent to Hawaii’s leading employers.

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.

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Jill was born and raised in Honolulu and now raises her own family in this beautiful city. Her passion is to help exceptional people find careers that are fulfilling and meaningful to them.

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.

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In her new role as Director at Alaka’i Executive Search, she feels empowered to help connect talented individuals with their dream careers and is excited to bring her natural ability to connect people and find solutions for clients.

Greg

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.

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He began his career helping London-based boutique search firm Webber Chase grow their business in NYC. He then joined New York-based Revolution Search as one of the first employees at the newly formed firm. At Revolution Search, he spent over ten years successfully completing senior placements for clients in the financial and technology sector.

Growing up in the midwest in St. Louis, Missouri, he developed a love of community, sports, and entrepreneurship. Greg graduated from Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts, where he studied Economics and East Asian Studies, and met his wife. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and playing tennis.

April

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.

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April’s transition to recruiting stems from her natural ability to connect with people and genuine interest in helping both employers and job seekers thrive. She has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact that the right talent can have on an organization’s success, having personally helped source several open positions at Abbott. She is  following her passion and channeling her persistently curious energy to contribute to her home community of Hawaii.

kori

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.

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As a former K-6 teacher, she has taught in the public and private sector on Oahu for over 18 years. She is now embarking on a new journey that will help her continue to serve others and build new relationships—just in a slightly different capacity. Her education background and interpersonal relationship skills will serve as a solid foundation in connecting qualified candidates to Hawaii’s top businesses.

“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

 

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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 Executive Officer (Real Estate)
  • Chief Financial Officer (Real Estate)
  • VP of Construction (Real Estate)
  • Of Counsel (Legal)
  • Vice President of HR (Retail)
  • Director of Operations (Retail)
  • Food Safety Manager (Retail)
  • Director of Community Relations (Healthcare)
  • Sr. Project Manager (Engineering)
  • Environmental Safety Specialist (Clean Energy)
  • Foundation Manager (Clean Energy)
  • HR Manager (Construction)

CONTACT US

725 Kapiolani Blvd. Suite C441
Honolulu, HI 96813
PH +1 (808) 379-8586

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