Shidler College of Business recognizes distinguished leaders in local, international commerce

From left: Vance Roley, Rick Ching, Teresa Yang, Tra My Nguyen, John C. Dean Jr. and Jay Shidler.

The UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business named four distinguished individuals to its annual Hall of Honor Awards during an October 13 fundraising dinner at the Sheraton Waikiki. The 2016 honorees were Rick Ching, president and chief operating officer, Servco Pacific Inc.; John C. Dean Jr., executive chair, Central Pacific Bank; Tra My Nguyen (Vietnam), founder and chair, CSC Vietnam, and vice chair, The PAN Group; and Teresa Yang (Hong Kong), vice chair, Esquel Group of Companies.

The individuals, representing the best of business, were honored for their outstanding leadership in their professions, service to their communities and support of education. This year’s inclusion of Nguyen from Vietnam and Yang from Hong Kong illustrates the global influence of the college through the success of its international alumni.

As president and COO of Servco Pacific Inc., Patrick "Rick" Ching (MBA '86) is involved in the strategic planning and capital allocation decisions for the company. He currently oversees Servco’s Hawai‘i automotive operations and home appliance division, and many of the company’s resource and support units. He also is a member of Servco’s executive and management committees, and is on the board of directors of Servco Australia (seven automotive dealerships).

John C. Dean Jr. has spent 35 years in the financial industry focusing on troubled institutions and restoring them to profitability. In 2010, Dean joined Central Pacific Bank (CPB) as CEO to oversee its recapitalization. After leading CPB to profitability, Dean stepped down as CEO in 2015. Today, he serves as executive chair of the CPB board of directors and as chair of the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) at the Shidler College of Business. Dean also advises various venture capital firms and is the managing general partner of Startup Capital Ventures. 

Born and raised in Vietnam, Tra My Nguyen (Vietnam Executive MBA '07) is the founder, chair and CEO of CSC Vietnam JSC., an investment company focusing on agriculture, education and real estate.  She also serves as vice chair of The PAN Group, a leading regional agriculture and food company. Under the leadership of Nguyen, CSC and The Pan Group have strengthen domestic markets and are currently expanding markets in the United States and Singapore. As a strong advocate for sustainable development, she also serves on the board of several leading agricultural companies in Vietnam.

A native of Hong Kong, Mingyen "Teresa" Yang (BBA 1984) is vice chair of the Esquel Group, a leading Hong-Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer with production facilities across five Asian countries. Esquel is one of the world’s leading producers of name brand garments such as Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Nike. Yang is responsible for Esquel Group’s strategic planning and focuses her energy in strengthening operations. Yang is also involved with many organizations that oversee Hong Kong’s textile and clothing industry.

Title sponsor for the event was CPB; media sponsor was Pacific Business News. The funds raised from the event will support student scholarships, student enrichment programs, alumni outreach and special student activities through the college’s advancement fund. Gifts to the fund can be made at www.uhfoundation.org/GiveToShidler. 

For a full list of past honorees, visit: shidler.hawaii.edu/hall-of-honor/past-recipients. 

(Full caption, from left) Vance Roley, Dean, Shidler College of Business; Rick Ching, President & COO, Servco Pacific; Teresa Yang, Vice Chair, Esquel Group of Companies; Tra My Nguyen, Founder and Chair, CSC Vietnam, and JSC Vice Chair, The PAN Group; John C. Dean Jr., Executive Chair, Central Pacific Bank; and Jay H. Shidler, Founder and Managing Partner, The Shidler Group and College namesake.