Warren Haruki, president of Verizon Hawaii, Friday announced he plans to retire from the company at the end of the month. Haruki was born and raised on Kaua‘i and is a Kapa‘a High School graduate. “Warren’s legacy is one of
Warren Haruki, president of Verizon Hawaii, Friday announced he plans to retire from the company at the end of the month.
Haruki was born and raised on Kaua‘i and is a Kapa‘a High School graduate.
“Warren’s legacy is one of leadership and accomplishment for both Verizon and the State of Hawai‘i,” said Valarie Shreve, Verizon’s senior vice president for customer operations. “Under Warren’s direction, Hawai‘i became one of the first states to operate a 100 percent digital telephone network, improving voice quality and increasing the number of calling features available to customers.
“Warren also helped to enhance the reliability of Hawai‘i’s interisland communications by overseeing the installation of hundreds of miles of undersea fiber optic cables, and led the introduction of Verizon Online DSL, our high-speed Internet service, to the Hawai‘i marketplace and spearheaded its expansion throughout the state,” Shreve said.
Haruki, whose retirement follows a 26-year career with the company, plans to continue to reside in Honolulu.
A successor is to be named soon, according to a statement by Verizon Hawaii.
Haruki received a B.S. degree in industrial management from Purdue University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, after graduating from Kaua‘i High School.
Haruki began his career at GTE Hawaiian Tel as a rate coordinator in 1977, progressing through positions of increasing responsibility within the company. During his career, he was vice president of revenue requirements, external affairs, and sales and service before being named president in December 1991. He is the nineteenth president in the history of the phone company, which was one of the first in the United States and chartered by King David Kalakaua in 1883.
“I have been fortunate to have worked with a team of outstanding, dedicated employees throughout my career,” said Haruki. “The future of Verizon Hawaii is positive and in great shape because of our strong management team, the tireless efforts of employees and our partnering with our union. Verizon Hawaii will continue to provide local customers with advanced services of great value combined with the highest quality of service in the state.”
Haruki has served on the boards of directors of numerous civic and cultural organizations in Hawai‘i, including the University of Hawai‘i Foundation and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.
In 2001, he was named Hawai‘i’s Distinguished Citizen by the Boy Scouts Aloha Council. Among other current affiliations, he is President of The 200 Club and Chairman of The Blood Bank of Hawaii.
