University of Hawaiʻi Fills Senior Positions in Administration; Vice President for External Affairs and Chief Financial Officer to Begin in Mid-December

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Jim Manke, 956-6106
University and Community Relations
Posted: Nov 19, 2001


University of Hawaiʻi President Evan S. Dobelle has named Paul S. Costello vice president for external affairs and J. R. W. "Wick" Sloane Chief Financial Officer for the University of Hawaiʻi system, it was announced today. They are expected to join the university as early as December 17.

Costello will assume the vice president position from Weber Shandwick International of New York City, where he was managing director, supervising corporate and financial relations, consumer and lifestyle and technology. He went to Weber Shandwick, one of the world‘s largest public relations firms, from Issuesphere, also a New York public relations firm, where he was a senior communications strategist for a diverse range of corporate, non-profit and entertainment clients including Kellogg Foundation, Urban Institute, Disney Hyperion Books and TIME. Previous to this, he was vice president for corporate affairs for Home Box Office, where he directed HBO‘s activities in the areas of corporate communications, affiliate PR, public and consumer affairs. From 1984 to 1988, he was director of public affairs for Chicago-based department store chain Marshall Field.

Costello‘s background is in public affairs. He has served as director of communications for Sharon Pratt Kelly, former Mayor of Washington, D.C., as well as press secretary for former Ohio Governor Richard Celeste. He holds a BA in communications from Southern Illinois University and received his MSW from the University of Illinois.

"For the vice president‘s position, we were looking for a person who could fulfill the diverse responsibility of coordinating and providing strategic direction to UH‘s marketing, fundraising, media and legislative relations efforts," said President Dobelle. "Paul Costello is a skilled communications strategist who has provided public affairs and communications counsel to senior leaders in government and the corporate sectors. He is a perfect match for this position and we are thrilled to have him on board."

J.R.W. "Wick" Sloane will become UH‘s chief financial officer from the Cambridge-based firm of K@tapult, Inc., which he founded in 1999. Prior to this, he was the chief operating officer for North America of Baring Asset Management, a global firm that manages $45 billion for institutional clients. His achievements at Baring include an overhaul of procedures in all operational areas, institution of operational risk management tools for the firm and moving the office from a "weak" to "excellent" audit rating in just two years.

Before joining Baring, he was partner at Handley International, a Boston-based financial services firm and for 10 years before that, managing director at Aetna Life and Casualty. At Aetna he was the architect of a partnership with Bank of China for a $200 million private equity fund and managed the implementation of nearly $2 billion in new initiatives. He also was appointed by the chairman of Aetna to advise the U.S. Speaker of the House on re-engineering and decision analysis to improve the legislative process. Sloane received his undergraduate degree from Williams College and hisMBA from the Yale University School of Management.

Said President Dobelle, "Wick" Sloane is a financial strategist with a community mentality. In addition to his proven record of improving operations in very competitive environments, he has served as an elected member of a local school board and is a commentator on public affairs on Boston's National Public Radio affiliate. He brings great clarity of vision and a strong set of values to his work."