Ann Teranishi on business acumen
From Leadership Seminar Series: Lori & Ann Teranishi · · UH Mānoa College of Engineering
“You have to have business acumen if you want to reach the top of your profession or any top leadership position. You cannot just be a good communications person or a good engineer; you have to see outside the narrow confines of your organization and understand the business drivers, how the organization makes money, and the risks it faces.”
On , Ann Teranishi, Chief Executive Officer, President & Director of American Savings Bank at HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC INDS, spoke about business acumen during Leadership Seminar Series: Lori & Ann Teranishi on UH Mānoa College of Engineering.
About Ann Teranishi
Ann Teranishi, CEO of American Savings Bank, participated in a leadership seminar at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in September 2022. During the event, she discussed her career path and leadership philosophy. Teranishi stated that leaders should be "a student for the rest of your life" and emphasized the importance of developing business acumen, people skills, and self-awareness. She said that networking is about "the quality of the connection" and that failure "only makes you stronger and better." Teranishi also spoke about her decision to return to Hawaii after more than 20 years, saying she believed it was "the best place to raise children" and that Hawaii has "amazing leaders." She described her role as CEO as requiring community involvement, noting that "you can't be the CEO of American Savings Bank and not be volunteering on the weekends." Teranishi encouraged students to be open to experiences and to present ideas in ways that others can understand and be persuaded by.