HONOLULU — Robert Iwamoto Jr. is co-founder of Roberts Hawai‘i and has served as CEO and chairman of the board since 1983. Effective Dec. 31, 2020, Robert Iwamoto Jr. has announced his retirement from the company as CEO and chairman of the board. Roy Pfund, current president and COO, has been named his successor as CEO, and will also serve as a member of the board of directors effective Jan. 1, 2021. Additionally, effective Jan. 1, 2021, Carey Chen, an existing independent board director, will become the new Roberts Hawaii chairman of the board.
HONOLULU — Robert Iwamoto Jr. is co-founder of Roberts Hawai‘i and has served as CEO and chairman of the board since 1983. Effective Dec. 31, 2020, Robert Iwamoto Jr. has announced his retirement from the company as CEO and chairman of the board. Roy Pfund, current president and COO, has been named his successor as CEO, and will also serve as a member of the board of directors effective Jan. 1, 2021. Additionally, effective Jan. 1, 2021, Carey Chen, an existing independent board director, will become the new Roberts Hawaii chairman of the board.
Pfund is a veteran of the transportation industry with 36 years of experience, including 26 years at Roberts Hawai‘i. On taking on his new position as CEO, Pfund commented, “I am grateful for the confidence and trust that Robert and our board have vested in me to take command of our company’s leadership in these challenging times. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a team of experienced managers and a supportive and knowledgeable board by my side, as well as all of the dedicated ESOP employee owners.”
Robert Iwamoto Jr. also remarked, stating, “I look forward to enjoying my retirement as I take this step back from the company that my parents and I worked so hard to build. I feel confident that the company is in good and capable hands with this new leadership in place and am confident that the Roberts legacy will continually prosper under their knowledgeable guidance.”
Through his leadership and tenure as CEO and chairman of the board, Iwamoto has sought to embody the core values of Roberts Hawaii, which are comprised of lokahi, kina‘ole, and ha‘aheo, translating to “teamwork,” “flawless” and “pride.” The company culture of Roberts Hawai‘i is one of service and mutuality. The company vision statement reads, “Roberts Hawaii will be an employer of choice that is known as Hawai‘i’s premier provider of transportation, tours and entertainment. Our employees will perform their jobs with a sense of ownership and commitment to the community and to each other.”
COVID-19 has closed this company down temporarily. So he is forced out of his job. I don’t know much about this man. I do know some of his strongest clients were the hotels in Waikiki. They took tourist all over Oahu. Sea Life Park, Koolina Hotels where they held luau’s, North Shore, and just about any other place where tourist might be going. Does he still live on Oahu?