Back in June, we compared the salary to local GM and managing director positions and wondered why someone would trade a stable executive role for a position for less money with more politics, more scrutiny, and less security. Judging by the applicant pool, plenty of executives reached the same conclusion.
When HTA reopened its CEO search, we wondered who would sign up for what might be the most politically exposed job in Hawaiʻi. The position had less independence than ever, a salary well below what many experienced hotel executives earn, and a governance structure that seemed designed to ensure everyone had a say except the person actually doing the job.
The numbers tell the story. About 60 people applied. Roughly one-third didn’t even meet the minimum qualifications, leaving around 40 viable candidates. Compare that with more than 300 applicants during the John De Fries search.
To be fair, the salary has since been raised to $216,000 plus state benefits, but that still falls well below what many seasoned hotel executives, destination leaders, and tourism CEOs earn.
The salary, though, isn’t the whole story. The real issue is uncertainty. Over the last few years, HTA has lost much of its independence, gone through repeated leadership changes, faced annual legislative restructuring efforts, and watched CEOs become political lightning rods. That’s a tough sell for someone already leading a successful organization.
The irony is that lawmakers now say they’re looking for stability. Stability is exactly what many qualified candidates are looking for too.
