Relationships at Work: Perspectives from Family Business Backgrounds

An interactive discussion featuring perspectives from speakers who both come from family business backgrounds and have pursued professional paths outside the family enterprise. They will share personal reflections on navigating workplace relationships, including both the rewards and complexities shaped by family business experience. The session will also include an overview of Hawaiʻi Employers Council and how it supports businesses across the state, along with guided reflection and discussion focused on communication, emotional intelligence, and navigating relationships across generations.

Learn more about our speakers:

Lina Le joins the Hawaii Employers Council as the Membership Initiatives Manager. She is responsible for driving growth and sustainability by fostering strong member relationships and leading member value-added programs. As a former member of the HEC Board of Governors, Lina brings a unique and well-rounded perspective to the council. Lina previously held senior positions in human resources and operations, working with HEC member companies in a variety of industries, including hospitality, airline, education, warehouse distribution and production. In 2020, Lina was chosen as Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the next 20.

Lina currently serves as a corporate board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii. She is senior certified professional with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and was a former member of SHRM Hawaii Board of Directors, SHRM National Young Professional Advisory Committee (YPAC), SHRM Hawaii Chapter Young Professionals Committee, and Hawaii People’s Fund board of directors. Lina earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Human Resource Management from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is fluent in Vietnamese.

Christina Tamaru joined HEC to support the ongoing expansion of the Talent & Organizational Development department’s training repertoire to meet the growing needs of our members and to deliver public and private sessions.

Prior to joining HEC, Christina served as a program manager at Hawaiian Airlines, where she led accessibility initiatives and ensured compliance with the Air Carrier Access Act. She was also responsible for developing and communicating operational policies and procedures. In addition, she previously served as a high school Japanese language teacher at Punahou School and has several years of combined experience in the education field in local, mainland, and international settings.

Christina received her Master of Arts in Global Studies from the University of Tokyo and her Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies from Whitman College.