Debbie Erskine has been promoted to director of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), a new division formed by the reorganization of Kamehameha Schools’ Finance Division. Erskine had previously served as controller.

In her new role as director, Erskine will oversee a team that serves as business partners to groups throughout the organization. The FP&A team, formerly the Budget Office, will work side-by-side with other groups to build financial plans that support strategies. Despite the old moniker, their new work is not just about cost control. 

Instead, the FP&A team will try to understand what resources are needed in order to achieve outcomes. In the case of education, Erskine explains, “Educators will define impact. FP&A will bring the finance piece and will examine productivity and efficiency.”  She says her team will also be looking for benchmarks and examples of what peer groups do in order to analyze KS functions.

Erskine reports to Finance Managing Director Ben Salazar, who is confident her prior experience as controller will serve her well in her new position. “Besides being a financial expert, she’s seen KS go through different cycles, and she will be a huge asset,” says Salazar.

She is a CPA and former audit manager with KPMG LLP. She began her career at Kamehameha in 2002 as assistant controller of investment reporting and was promoted to controller in 2010. Erskine has a degree in finance and accounting from the University of Idaho.

Erskine enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children. She relaxes in her vegetable garden and enjoys experimenting with new veggies, both to see if she can grow them and also get her family to eat them.

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