Su Shin
Occupation: Hawaiian Telcom President
What school you grad? McKinley High School ‘89
College: University of La Verne
Location: Honolulu, HI
After her father’s unexpected death when Su Shin was 5 years old, her mother emigrated her and her older brother from Korea to Hawai‘i for a chance at a better life. She grew up in public housing in Kalihi and attended Kaʻiulani Elementary, Kawānanakoa Middle School ma McKinley High School. With dreams of becoming the next Connie Chung, Shin studied journalism at the University of La Verne. She began her career as a journalist at KHNL-TV (now Hawaiʻi News Now) and later transitioned to strategic communications as chief communications officer for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and later served as senior vice president at Bennet Group, a public relations agency in Honolulu. Shin joined Hawaiian Telcom in 2013 as executive director of Corporate Communications and eventually was promoted into several key leadership positions, including stewardship of the Marketing and Communications teams and serving as chief of staff. In 2020, Shin made history as Hawaiian Telcom’s first female president in the company’s 142-year history.
She has been recognized by the Public Schools of Hawai‘i Foundation, Pacific Business News as a Power Leader, awarded the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction and honored at the YWCA’s Leader Luncheon.
Q: What are you up to these days?
A: I am the president of Hawaiian Telcom, leading a world-class team committed to our vision of connecting and empowering Hawaiʻi. We’re investing $1.7 billion to make Hawaiʻi the first fully fiber-enabled state in the United States by the end of 2026. This future-proof fiber optic network enables Hawaiʻi’s fastest internet speeds, symmetrical upload and download speeds, ultra-low latency, and reliability to meet our community’s needs now and in the future. Beyond fast speeds, this investment is about bridging the digital divide and ensuring digital equity across our island state. Whether you’re in Hāʻena on Kauaʻi or Hawaiʻi Kai on Oʻahu, you will have access to Hawaiʻi’s only 100% fiber network. This critical broadband infrastructure will enable distance learning, remote work, and telehealth opportunities for some of Hawaiʻi’s most remote and underserved populations. Additionally, this vital investment will transform the broadband landscape in Hawaiʻi, serving as foundational infrastructure to fuel economic resiliency and growth.
Q: Why did you choose this career path and what do you enjoy most about it?
A: I didn’t choose this career path or strive for this role, but I love my job and my work ʻohana at Hawaiian Telcom. I’m incredibly fortunate to work alongside such dedicated and hard-working employees who feel a deep sense of kuleana for the vital role we play in our community, keeping our customers connected to what matters most to them. The investments and impact we are making across the state are historic, and I’m so proud of the legacy we are building together. I love that we are honoring our long and rich history in the islands while forging a brighter future for the community we serve.
Q: What makes you #PublicSchoolProud?
A: I’m so proud to be a product of Hawaiʻi’s public school system because, without the incredibly dedicated and caring teachers, administrators, and staff I had the good fortune of encountering, I would not be where I am today. But more than just where I am, I would not be who I am. Aside from my mom, who deserves a medal for all she did and sacrificed to raise me and my brother as a single mom, it is the public school community that helped to raise me. This is where I learned to value community, compassion, and grit. My core values were shaped in these formative years, and I owe a debt of gratitude to the many who not only showed me kindness but a real sense of belonging and care.
Q: Favorite subject in school?
A: English. I loved the power of language and storytelling.
Q: Favorite school lunch or breakfast?
A: The baked spaghetti and shortbread cookies!
Q: What type of extracurricular activities were you involved in?
A: Speech, choir, drama, swimming. These activities helped me develop confidence and communication skills.
Q: Name of a teacher or mentor you’d like to thank?
A: Mrs. Fely Serra was an English teacher and my speech coach. She taught me not only to love the written and spoken word but to appreciate their power. She is the reason I pursued a career in journalism.
Q: What advice do you have for students?
A: Work hard and don’t be afraid to take chances. Honor and embrace your personal history; be authentic and kind. And most importantly, don’t forget where you came from—pay it forward.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add or share?
A: I believe that I have a responsibility to give back to this community that helped me and my family when we needed it most. My experiences in Hawaiʻi’s public schools taught me the value of community support and the impact that dedicated individuals can have on students’ lives. This has inspired me to serve as a board member for several organizations, including the Aloha United Way, the Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi, the McKinley High School Foundation, the Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable, and the Bell Charitable Foundation. I’m committed to ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities and support that I received. But the most important job I have and the one I’m most proud of is being a mom to my two amazing daughters, Maya and Kayla. I strive to instill in them the same values of community service and gratitude that I learned in our public schools.
