Maui Land & Pineapple Company appoints new board members to support next chapter of growth

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. announced the appointment of two new Independent Directors to its Board, effective Jan. 1, 2024: Catherine Ngo, a seasoned leader at the intersection of finance, technology, and law; and Maui native Ken Ota, a successful local entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the construction industry and water infrastructure. 

“Catherine and Ken embody esteemed leadership and we are honored to add them to our diverse slate of Directors. We look forward to their thoughtful guidance as we chart the course for a future of growth,” said Race Randle, CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Company. “Their expertise includes local and national best practices in areas ranging from finance to critical infrastructure, which will bring valuable insights as we maximize the utilization of our land and commercial assets. Our next steps aim to support community needs while delivering increased value to our stakeholders.”

Catherine Ngo is an expert in finance, technology, and law, with decades of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves as the Chair of Central Pacific Financial Corp (NYSE: CPF), and was previously Executive Vice Chair. Prior to that, she served as President and CEO of Central Pacific Bank for six years. Ngo was also a founding general partner of Startup Capital Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm established in 2005.

A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Ngo started her career in private law practice for seven years, then joined Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) as Executive Vice President and General Counsel until 2005, where she also oversaw the operations and risk divisions of the company.

Ngo is actively involved in several prominent boards and committees including Queen’s Health Systems, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, and Catholic Charities of Hawaiʻi. She also serves as a board member for Hawaiʻi Gas, chairs the Federal Reserve Bank Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council for the 12th District, and is a member of the National FRB CDIAC in Washington, D.C.

Ken Ota has more than three decades of experience in the construction industry and has become a local expert in water-related infrastructure.

Ota founded and led Pacific Pipe Company as President and CEO. In 2021, Pacific Pipe Company was acquired by Core and Main, Inc. (NYSE: CNM), one of the world’s leading distributors of water, wastewater, storm drainage and fire protection products, where Ota continues to serve as Hawai‘i Area Director.

Ota is an active member of the Maui community and currently serves on the State of Hawaiʻi Licensing Board of Engineers, Architects, Surveyors, and Landscape Architects as well as the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum. He is also a board member of the private equity and real estate company, Tradewind Capital. Ken graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance.

With the addition of Ngo and Ota, Maui Land & Pineapple Company’s Board of Directors will be comprised of seven independent directors of diverse communities with versatile expertise.