VP of Finance

Finance Director For Highgate's Hawaii Portfolio

Lead the financial strategy for Highgate's Hawaii portfolio. Partnering with hotel leaders and ownership groups to drive performance, strengthen operations, and create long-term value. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Finance and working closely with the Group President – Hawaii, you will play a key role in shaping the portfolio's continued success.

Success in this role requires more than financial expertise. It calls for a collaborative leader who builds lasting relationships, develops local talent, leads with humility and integrity, and embraces the values of aloha in supporting both people and performance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the strategic finance partner to General Managers and Executive Committees across the Hawaii portfolio, functioning as a co-owner of each hotel's commercial results rather than a reporting function; participate in property strategy, pricing, and profitability decisions.
• Partner directly with the Group President – Hawaii on regional strategy, portfolio performance reviews, ownership relations, and market positioning; act as the finance voice in regional leadership discussions and translate portfolio results into actionable direction for property teams.
• Report to and partner with the SVP Finance on company and regional initiatives, portfolio-level risk management, and finance talent strategy; serve as the SVP's extension in the Hawaii market, ensuring corporate standards, priorities, and reporting expectations are executed consistently across the region. Maintain a no-surprises standard: proactively escalate cash, control, ownership, and operational risks – including labor, safety, systems, and property-condition issues with financial impact – as they emerge, not after they mature.
• Work with ownership groups and asset managers on cash requirements, distributions, ROI initiatives, capital planning, and bespoke reporting needs; represent Highgate credibly in owner meetings and build durable, trust-based ownership relationships.
• Provide financial leadership, guidance, and training to Area Directors of Finance, property Directors of Finance, and Controllers; build succession readiness and cross-property consistency in standards across the islands.
• Own the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting across the region, including month-end close, balance sheet and bank reconciliations, forecasting, budgeting, and 5-year operating and capital plans.
• Drive adherence to USALI, GAAP, internal audit standards, and Highgate accounting policies; lead property teams through internal audits, self-audits, and external reviews with minimal control deficiencies.
• Ensure compliance with Hawaii-specific tax and regulatory requirements, including General Excise Tax (GET), state and county Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT), licenses, permits, leases, and contractual obligations.
• Oversee treasury and working capital across the portfolio: cash flow forecasting and projections, credit card reconciliations, deposit controls, and corporate cash management protocols, with training provided to property teams.
• Oversee purchasing, vendor compliance, inventory, and expense classification controls, with particular focus on the cost and logistics realities of an island market (freight, lead times, limited vendor pools).
• Support financial management of properties operating under collective bargaining agreements, including payroll, benefits, and labor cost forecasting in a heavily unionized market.
• Monitor revenues and expenses across the region; investigate and critique variances to budget and prior year and offer practical improvement strategies to management.
• Coordinate with the centralized taskforce team to cover leadership gaps, providing interim oversight, training, and mentorship during transitions or open-seat periods.
• Recruit, develop, evaluate, and retain finance talent across the region, with emphasis on cultivating local talent and long-tenured teams consistent with Hawaii's relationship-driven hospitality culture.
• Maintain a visible, in-person presence at properties across the islands; lead with humility, listening, and respect for the host culture, building relationships with property teams, owners, and community partners for the long term.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive hotel finance experience, including multi-property leadership as an Area Director of Finance, Regional Director, or equivalent; 4-year degree with an Accounting/Finance concentration preferred.
• Demonstrated experience as a strategic partner to General Managers and senior operations leaders, with the ability to influence commercial decisions, not just report on them.
• Proven owner-relations experience: presenting to ownership groups, managing owner reporting requirements, and navigating sensitive capital and cash conversations.
• Hawaii market experience strongly preferred, including familiarity with GET/TAT, resort operations, and the state's labor environment; experience managing finances under collective bargaining agreements is a significant plus.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills: approachable, patient, and relationship-first; able to build trust across long-tenured property teams and lead in a manner consistent with the spirit of ho'okipa (hospitality) and respect for local culture.
• Strong technical command of hotel finance systems; experience with Oracle, TM1 (or comparable planning tools), Birchstreet, and AuditBoard preferred, plus advanced Excel (pivot tables, complex formulas, financial modeling).
• Deep knowledge of USALI, GAAP, internal controls, and hotel management agreement structures, including incentive fee, reserve, and reporting provisions.
• Proven leadership and talent development track record: hiring, coaching, evaluating, and building succession pipelines for property finance leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the judgment to calibrate messaging for owners, brand partners, executives, and line-level teams.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment on sensitive ownership, personnel, and transactional matters.
• Willingness to travel regularly between islands and periodically to the mainland; residence in, or relocation to, Hawaii required.
• CPA, CHAE, or equivalent certification a plus but not required.