Growing a Sustainable Future - Krannert alum leads two Hawaiian companies as CEO

Serving as a CEO is an achievement for anyone. Krannert alumnus Warren Haruki holds the position in the C-suite of two different companies — Grove Farm Company and Maui Land & Pineapple Company, both in Hawaii.

Like many Krannert CEOs, Haruki earned his undergraduate degree in industrial management (now Integrated Business and Engineering), graduating in 1973 after only three years.

“I was an early admit due to the rolling admissions process,” Haruki says. “Upon being accepted, I needed to put a down payment to secure a dorm space. Since I had not heard from any other school yet and it was in December or January, I decided to put the money down and enroll at Purdue. I never regretted the decision, except when it was freezing cold and I missed the warmth and colors of Hawaii.”

His favorite recollections as a student are his relationships with Purdue students, faculty and staff.

“I made lifelong friends whom I still stay in contact with during my years living at Theta Xi fraternity,” Haruki says. “I am proud of Purdue’s outstanding academic reputation, its tremendous leadership and innovation, and its ever-growing and evolving campus. I still enjoy returning to see the current state of the school. The Purdue traditions and sports events are also fond memories.”

Haruki says Purdue’s academic rigor prepared him well. “I needed to have dedication and discipline to manage the heavy academic workload and those traits have lived on with me during my professional career,” he says.

After graduating from Purdue, Haruki earned an MBA from the University of Hawaii, working at an accounting firm while he completed his degree. Those educational opportunities prepared him for a 25-year career with GTE Hawaiian Tel and Verizon Hawaii, where he was president for 13 years, and in his current work building sustainable communities in Hawaii.

“I was recruited for my jobs and didn’t necessarily set out to have careers in the fields of telecommunications or community development,” he says.

As president and CEO of Grove Farm since 2005, Haruki leads the company’s goal to build a sustainable Kaua`i. “That encompasses water, energy, species, historic sites, health, education, housing and culture,” he says. “Taken together, these strategic initiatives and projects move the island closer to our vision. In turn, it will build a community that will provide quality of life, meaningful jobs, and a bright future for generations to come.”

Maui Land & Pineapple Company (MLP), where Haruki has been chair and CEO since 2009, is a landholding and operating company dedicated to agriculture, resort operation and the creation and management of holistic communities. It owns approximately 22,000 acres on the island of Maui, primarily the lands within and surrounding the renown Kapalua Resort. MLP also owns and manages the 8,304-acre Pu‘u Kukui Watershed Preserve, one of the largest private nature preserves in Hawaii.

“The businesses are similar, but they are actually two distinct companies on different islands,” Haruki says. The burgeoning field of data analytics is vital to both.

“We rely on data for real estate construction and marketing, for ag-tech opportunities, for water quality projects, for climate change issues, and much more,” he says. “It is hard to imagine an industry that can be successful in the future without a clear grasp of the current situation, and data analytics is the key to that understanding.”

Haruki has returned to Purdue multiple times, including as a guest speaker for the Krannert Executive Forum, where he shared career advice with students. “I encourage them to open their minds for continued lifelong learning – a growth mindset,” he says. “Education is a lifelong pursuit and the rewards are immense.”

He also urges students to seek diverse experiences and apply three guiding principles in life — respect, gratitude, and humility. “The breadth and depth of a person’s experiences all serve as pillars to the learning of life,” he says.

Written by Eric Nelson