Eric K. Yeaman - President and Chief Executive Officer

Eric Yeaman joined Hawaiian Telcom as President and Chief Executive Officer on June 16, 2008.  He has successfully led the company’s return to profitability, stabilization of its business (customers, employees and systems), and positioning for the future.  His first two years of leadership included a Chapter 11 reorganization process that resulted in a reduction of over $800 million in debt.  He is currently leading the company through its growth strategy which includes the delivery of Hawaiian Telcom TV to the consumer market, enhanced IP-based voice and data services and managed services in the business market, and wireless backhaul and other opportunities in the wholesale market.

Prior to joining Hawaiian Telcom, Mr. Yeaman was Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (HECO) where he was responsible for the leadership of its day-to-day Oahu operations, energy solutions, public affairs, financial and administrative process areas.  Prior to that, he served as Financial Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI), HECO’s parent company, beginning in 2008; he was Chief Operating and Financial Officer for Kamehameha Schools (KS) from 2000 to 2003; and began his career leading numerous audit and consulting projects at Arthur Andersen LLP. 

Active in community affairs, Mr. Yeaman serves on the not-for-profit boards of Queen’s Health Systems (currently Chairman of the Board), Bishop Museum, Hawaii Community Foundation, Hawaii Business Roundtable, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Kamehameha Schools Audit Committee, Aloha Council Boy Scouts of America and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation.  He also serves as a director of several for-profit boards including Bishop Holdings Corporation, Kamehameha Investment Corporation and Pauahi Management Corporation.  He is also a director of the United States Telecom Association and a member of the Hawaii Asia Pacific Association.

Mr. Yeaman was recently named Hawaii Business Magazine’s CEO of the Year for 2011.  In September of 2010, he was inducted into University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business Hall of Honor.  In 2004, Mr. Yeaman was recognized as the Financial Executive of the Year (Regional Award) sponsored by Robert Half International Inc. and the Institute of Management Accountants, as well as one of Pacific Business News’ Forty Under 40. 

Mr. Yeaman was born and raised in Kona, Hawaii, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree (with distinction) in accounting from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is a certified public accountant in the State of Hawaii.

February 2012