HONOLULU, HI, November 4, 2022 – Pacific Business News named our President & CEO, Ed Schultz, one of Hawai‘i’s Business Leaders of the Year. Despite the pandemic being one of the most challenging chapters of our company’s history, Ed led the team to overcome various hardships that came our way and continues to grow the company through innovation and a focus on company culture.
Each year, Pacific Business News (PBN) recognizes the top leaders in Big Business, Small Business, and Nonprofit Leadership. Honorees are selected based on the impact they made both within their organizations and in the Hawai‘i community in the prior year. This year, PBN named 6 Big Business Leader of the Year honorees, 4 Small Business Leader of the Year honorees, and 13 Nonprofit Leadership Award honorees in its 21st annual Business Leadership Hawai‘i awards.
We are incredibly proud to share that our very own President & CEO, Ed Schultz, was named one of the top Big Business Leaders of the Year. Ed and the other esteemed honorees were celebrated at PBN’s 21st annual Business Leadership Hawai‘i awards ceremony on November 3rd, 2022 at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort in Waikiki.
This recognition came as no surprise to our HHG team as Ed proves every day that he is an incredible leader in our organization and in the broader local community. In the last year, Ed has led HHG through what was undeniably one of the most challenging chapters of our company’s history.
When COVID-19 hit, Ed united and led the team to overcome each hardship that came our way. Since January 2021, we have created KOHO, rebranded and repositioned Mauna Loa into the health & wellness space on the mainland (earning multiple awards along the way), introduced the first-ever macadamia-milk ice cream as a major category disrupter, and increased our sales and distribution by updating and streamlining our E-Commerce channels.
During COVID-19, Ed prioritized building a strong, progressive culture just as much as he prioritized mitigating financial losses for the company. He reflects often on how he works, leads, and collaborates to make HHG an even better place to work. Furthermore, Ed’s commitment to diversity and equity within the workplace is reflected in our leadership teams which consist of 50% women and 50% BIPOC members on the executive level, and of 43% women and 57% BIPOC members on the senior leadership level.
Ed is also committed to operating at all times with our HHG purpose in mind, “to make the Islands’ future flourish” and despite a challenging year, lead the charge to do just that through some of the following projects and initiatives:
- Significant monetary and product donations to organizations including, but not limited to, YWCA, Hawaii Foodbank, Make-a-Wish Hawaii, Merrie Monarch Festival Royal Parade, Honolulu Museum of Art, and Aloha United Way.
- A partnership with Mana Up, a local business accelerator. Ed served as a mentor to Mana Up’s cohorts of up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and welcomed Mana Up’s Big Island businesses into our Mauna Loa Visitor Center near Hilo, giving them exposure and access to a global audience.
- Co-leading the launch of our ~3,000-panel solar farm earlier this year that powers our manufacturing facility on the Big Island. The system avoids 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year and complements our on-site water and wastewater system, making our Kea‘au facility 100% self-sustained.
Lastly, in regard to his community involvement, Ed serves as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i chapter of the Young Presidents Organization, and the National Confectioners Association. In addition, he volunteers his time as a guest lecturer at organizations and universities locally, and around the nation including University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Chaminade University of Honolulu, and University of Southern California.
Congratulations from our team at HHG to all of this year’s distinguished Business Leadership Hawai‘i honorees, and especially to our very own leader, Ed Schultz.
Contact:
Stijn Spaas
Director of Corporate Brand Strategy
sspaas@hawaiianhostgroup.com
