David Okamoto
The Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund has hired David Okamoto as its new CIO. He began on September 15 after leaving his position as an investment officer at the Hawaii Employee Retirement System.
“David spent the last 4 years at HIERS, dedicated to the build-out and ongoing management of our credit and illiquid diversifying manager risk initiatives,” says HIERS CIO Kristen Varela. “His work during this time has led to innovation and results that will benefit our members well into the future. As David begins this new chapter, we wholeheartedly celebrate his well-deserved accomplishment and thank him for his contributions to our system.”
Okamoto was named a 2023 CIO NextGen in August.
“He has also been recognized by his peers for his thought leadership and has been invited to speak at various investment conferences,” Varela said as part of Okamoto’s nomination. “His contributions to the investment management industry are outstanding, and he is a leader who will undoubtedly shape the industry’s future.”
The EUTF provides medical and life insurance benefits to more than 60,000 active state and local Hawaii employees, 47,000 retirees and 80,000 dependents. Okamoto will oversee $6.5 billion in assets managed by the fund.
Prior to working at HIERS, he was a vice president and portfolio manager at the Bank of Hawaii. Prior to that, he was an investment analyst and later acting CIO at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management and finance from Boston University.
Tags: CIO NextGen, David Okamoto, Hawaii Employee Retirement System, Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, Kristen Varela