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Blue Hawaiian Helicopter and Activities President and CEO Quentin Koch returned to his alma mater on February 27, 2024, to deliver a resonating and impactful keynote speech to a full auditorium of HPU students, faculty, and staff members at the Å·ÃÀAƬ’s 1^st Annual Career Conference held at Aloha Tower Marketplace that included a networking event and career fair. Koch graduated from HPU in 2001 with a bachelor of international business administration degree and earned his MBA from UoP Tokyo.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Koch moved to Hawaiʻi to attend HPU the day after his high school graduation. It was one of the most important and invaluable experiences in his life, taking a variety of classes along the way in nursing, marine biology, and travel industry management where he found his passion in life. He also volunteered at various organizations and credits HPU with introducing him to diverse cultures and people from around the world.

“HPU is such an amazing place for culture. I had a roommate from Taiwan, I had a friend from Sweden, Mexico. Many of the friends that I met Å·ÃÀAƬ I keep in touch with today. I eventually visited my friends’ hometowns, and this led to my love of travel and to working at United Airlines.”

Koch worked at United Airlines for several years, becoming their base manager in Tokyo, and later, their director of sales and marketing in Guam. His goal was to return to Hawaiʻi in a leadership role, moving through the industry to a variety of cities and countries in his storied aviation career.

“You are going to have setbacks in life,” noted Koch, “but just wait because something else is around the corner and it’s going to be bigger, better, and more amazing.”

In 2019, Koch joined Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and Activities as their president and CEO. The company is Hawaiʻi’s “air-tour leader for 35 years” where they serve all the Hawaiian Islands and are the largest activity reseller in the state, located in 36 hotels in Hawaiʻi.

Koch addressed students, emphasizing the significance of embracing change and fostering collaboration within the workforce. He highlighted that success and progress hinge on one's ability to adapt to change and actively engage in it. He underscored the value of voluntarily assuming new roles, as this serves as a pathway to acquiring new skills and becoming integrated into diverse organizational and cultural contexts.

He also highlighted the importance of working in the community and engaging with non-profit organizations. “Make sure your company, your team, your division is involved with the community because that’s where your future talent comes from, your customers come from; that’s everything. Be involved. Be engaged with your community.”

At the end of the keynote presentation, students, staff, and faculty members participated in a question-and-answer session where Koch shared his insights on the importance of strong leadership.

“When you are a leader and a boss you are going to have amazing people working for you. The most valuable asset you have as a leader is your employees. Find ways to recognize and reward them,” he said. 

The keynote event was immediately followed by an HPU career fair where over 30 national and local employers met with HPU students and alumni to discuss various career opportunities. Participants had the chance to discuss a range of positions that included paid internships, part-time positions, and full-time openings.

The Career Conference also included virtual brown-bag and talk-story sessions under the theme of career journeys and developing career competencies. These sessions, led by HPU deans, faculty, and staff, covered topics, including critical thinking, communication skills, information literacy, equity and inclusion, leadership and teamwork, and the Coursera Career Academy.

 

All images by Michael Matsushita.