Family Business Center of Hawaii

Equipping, educating and celebrating families in business

Shidler College of Business

FBC Event

Maui Meeting

“Leadership: What got you here…will it get you there?”

Speaker: David McClain, Professor and President Emeritus, University of Hawaii

David McClain

In 1991, David McClain joined the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa as the Henry A. Walker Distinguished Professor of Business Enterprise and professor of the Financial Economics and Institutions department. He became dean of the college in 2000 and later served as vice president for academic affairs for the University of Hawai‘i System from 2003-2004. In 2006, after serving as interim president, McClain was appointed president of the 10-campus University of Hawai‘i System. He served in that position until 2009.

McClain previously served as senior staff economist on the Council of Economic Advisors to President Jimmy Carter, tenured professor and chair of the finance department at Boston University and as head of global economic information services for Data Resources, Inc.

In the early ‘90s, McClain became co-director of the UH and East-West Center Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Studies Center, and chair and the U.S. representative of the APEC Business Management Network.

McClain has been published widely in the national financial new media and in professional journals contributing hundreds of scholarly articles. His book, “Apocalypse on Wall Street,” on the stock market crash of 1987 received national recognition.

Most recently he accepted an invitation to be an Honorary Councillor of the International Association of Asia-Pacific Studies which is best known for its journal —Asia Pacific World. The IAAPS’ mission is to shape and promote Asia-Pacific studies, and contribute to the further development of the region through the publication of research.

In 2010, McClain returned to his faculty position at the Shidler College of Business.