Business Roundup: 01-13-20

Head appointed Fairmont Orchid general manager

KOHALA COAST — Fairmont Orchid announced the appointment of Charles Head as general manager as of Dec. 13. Head will oversee all operational, financial and strategic aspects of the 540-room luxury resort.

Bringing over 30 years of luxury hospitality experience to this position, Head joins Fairmont Orchid from his most recent role as general manager at Claremont Club &Spa, a Fairmont Hotel, a position he held since 2017. He was also general manager of Fairmont Kea Lani from 2010-2017 and during his tenure at the all-suite and villa resort, the property was named Fairmont Hotels &Resorts’ 2015 North America Hotel of the Year.

Prior to assuming his role at Fairmont Kea Lani, Head held the position of general manager at Fairmont St. Andrews, Scotland. He also held executive-level positions with Fairmont Winnipeg, Fairmont Orchid and Fairmont Empress. He joined Fairmont Hotels &Resorts in 1996 at Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

“I’m thrilled to move back to the Hawaiian Islands and have been so warmly embraced by the Fairmont Orchid ‘ohana (family),” Head said in a news release. “The islands have always had a special place in my heart because my wife and I raised our two children here. I look forward to deepening our property’s community engagement, elevating our service offerings and further immersing myself in this unmatched destination.”

Charles participated in the Hotel and Restaurant Administration Program from Camosun College, Victoria. He and his wife, Lisa, reside on Hawaii Island with their two golden retrievers, Koa and Kai.

“I am delighted to welcome Charles to Hawaii Island and Fairmont Orchid,” General Manager for Fairmont Hawaii, Michael Pye, said in the release. “Charles is a well-seasoned hotelier who brings incredible hospitality experience along with a demonstrated track record of effective leadership and a keen understanding of the Hawaiian culture to this role.”

Shin named Hawaii Telcom president

HONOLULU – Hawaiian Telcom announced Tuesday that Su Shin, its chief of staff, has been promoted to president and general manager effective Feb. 10. This follows John Komeiji’s resignation as president and general manager.

“Su has proven herself a results-oriented, high-integrity and humble leader,” said Tom Simpson, COO at Cincinnati Bell, Hawaiian Telcom’s parent company. “Over the years, she has worked closely with our teams to execute on our strategy. We are confident that her experience at Hawaiian Telcom positions her well to lead the company as we continue our fiber investment. She is deeply committed to Hawaii and will provide valuable continuity for our local leadership team.

Komeiji will be serving as general counsel and vice president at Kamehameha Schools, joining the CEO’s executive leadership team.

“John has been a transformational leader and I am grateful for his mentorship and friendship,” Shin said. “I am humbled and honored to be able to continue to serve Hawaiian Telcom’s employees and customers. I look forward to working with our talented and dedicated team as we continue our transformation from the telephone company to Hawaii’s technology leader.

Lowe’s looking to hire

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) announced plans to hire more than 53,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal associates across its more than 1,700 U.S. stores this spring. Lowe’s will roll out hiring events in all store locations over the next three months by region to meet the seasonal spring hiring needs across the country.

Lowe’s stores in Florida, Southern California and Hawaii, as well as parts of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Texas, Alabama and Georgia, where spring weather typically arrives earliest, hosted the first walk-in hiring events Wednesday.

Lowe’s will host additional hiring events at stores in the remaining U.S. regions on Jan. 15, Feb. 5, Feb. 19 and March 4. To search for a hiring event near you, visit jobs.lowes.com/events.