LATEST NEWS

August 23, 2005
Hawaiian Telcom Names Executives for Sales, Marketing, Finance and Legal Functions

Hawaiian Telcom has appointed four executives: Brian Allen, vice president – general business direct sales; Lester Chu, vice president – strategy and business development; Gil Mendelson, vice president – financial planning and analysis; and Francis Mukai, vice president and associate general counsel.

Allen will lead Hawaiian Telcom’s new General Business Sales team, which provides face-to-face service and support to Hawai'i’s small business market. He most recently served as director of sales for Cincinnati Bell Telephone where he was responsible for a customer-focused sales group that generated revenues of $115M. He earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Indiana University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Chu, a returning Hawai'i resident, will lead the development of Hawaiian Telcom’s long-term strategy and new business growth opportunities. Most recently Chu was vice president of marketing and strategic planning with Verizon Information Services in Dallas, Texas, where he led marketing and planning for Verizon’s $3.6 billion print and online directory business. He began his career in telecommunications with GTE Hawaiian Tel as a manager of network sales engineering in 1989. Chu earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and computer engineering as well as a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. He also holds a Masters of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer engineering from Stanford University.

Mendelson, a long-time Hawai'i resident, will lead the budgeting, reporting and strategic planning efforts for Hawaiian Telcom. His experience includes over 25 years working in Hawai'i’s telecommunications, banking and petroleum industries. He was most recently vice president and General Manager of AT&T Wireless - Hawai'i. He has held key operating and financial planning positions with Honolulu Cellular, Bank of America - Hawai'i, HonFed Bank and PRI. Mendelson, a CPA, earned a bachelor of arts degree from American University in Washington, D.C., and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Mukai most recently served as counsel with Ishikawa Morihara Lau & Fong LLP, a Honolulu law firm. At Hawaiian Telcom, he is a member of the team providing legal support to the company’s business and support units with a focus on corporate governance and compliance matters, business transactions and contract administration. He has broad corporate law experience including business acquisitions, joint ventures and securities law compliance. Mukai earned a bachelor of science degree in engineering and applied science from the California Institute of Technology and his law degree from Harvard Law School.

About Hawaiian Telcom
Hawaiian Telcom is the state’s leading telecommunications provider, offering a wide spectrum of telecommunications products and services, which include local and long distance service, high-speed Internet, wireless services, and print directory and Internet directory services.