Ben Salazar Named Kamehameha Schools Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

August 15, 2012

Contributed by Pakalani Bello

]Salazar will oversee Kamehameha's Finance and Facilities Group, which includes the Controller, Treasurer and Facilities Development and Support divisions. Also included in his kuleana will be the integration of risk management for the organization, called Enterprise Risk Management.

A certified public accountant, Salazar joined Kamehameha Schools in 2005 as financial risk manager for its Treasury Division. He was promoted to director of Treasury in 2007, overseeing cash management, debt, risk management, appraisal and long-term financial modeling.

"I am very pleased to welcome Ben to our Executive Leadership Team on a permanent basis," said KS chief executive officer Dee Jay Mailer. "Ben is very well respected by all of us. He is smart, experienced, creative and courageous, having been a part of the team who helped us through the 2008 economic crisis.

"He has built trusted relationships with his colleagues because of his willingness to listen, learn and understand all aspects of our organization. When making decisions, he puts mission first. I am extremely confident that he will continue to serve Pauahi and her beneficiaries well."

Salazar was born in American Samoa, grew up in Waipahu and is a graduate of Leilehua High School. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.

"I am humbled and honored to be selected," Salazar said. "Kamehameha Schools does great work in this community and I am very excited to have the chance to lead a team of outstanding, committed professionals who comprise our Finance and Facilities divisions. I personally know what it means to get a helping hand growing up, and it inspires me to see Kamehameha Schools giving those helping hands every day. It makes my work and that of my team so rewarding."

Salazar is a director for the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawai'i and the Hawai'i chapter of the Risk and Insurance Management Society. He is also a member of the Hawai'i Captive Insurance Council.

He and wife Cindy have one son and reside in Kaka'ako.