Hawaii Business Magazine Welcomes Home New Editor With 20 Years in Business Reporting
Hawai‘i-Rooted Jennifer Ablan to Take the Helm Following Steve Petranik’s Retirement
HONOLULU, HI—aio and Hawaii Business Magazine are pleased to welcome home Jennifer Ablan as the new editor-in-chief. Ablan will bring more than 25 years of experience in business journalism back home to Hawai‘i in her new role starting on May 7.
“We are thrilled to have Jennifer lead the editorial team at Hawaii Business Magazine,” said Kent Coules, Hawaii Business publisher. “She has worked for Reuters, interviewed billionaire investors, and has a deep knowledge of investment markets. But beyond her impressive background of business reporting, we’re able to give her the opportunity to come back home and be Hawaii Business’s first female editor-in-chief.”
Ablan joins Hawaii Business Magazine from Pensions & Investments, an international publication of money management, where she served as its editor-in-chief and chief content officer. Ablan’s team introduced Twitter Spaces, LinkedIn Live and other innovative multi-media projects to the P&I brand as well as a relaunch of face-to-face profiles. Prior to that role, she was U.S. Assistant Managing Editor at the Financial Times under Peter Spiegel. She spent over a decade as U.S. Investments Editor at Reuters, Ablan co-hosted the prestigious Reuters Global Investment Summits, and consistently broke news on prominent investors including Bill Gross, Jeffrey Gundlach, Carl Icahn, and Greg Jensen. She also developed deep sources at major investment firms such as PIMCO, DoubleLine, and MetWest during her time at Barron’s magazine, where she wrote the popular Current Yield column for over five years.
“I’m deeply honored to be joining Hawaii Business Magazine, which is recognized as the oldest regional business magazine in the country. I feel privileged to be from Hawaii and excited to help elevate such a special publication of great storytelling. The news flow is fluid as the world changes with economic and political shifts and Hawaii Business Magazine will continue the deep-dive reporting on the biggest topics that affect Hawaii businesses as well as touch on global issues such as the US-China tariff war, given our Asia-Pacific ties in international business and research.”
Early in her career, she worked as a copy desk editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, where current Hawaii Business editor Steve Petranik hired her, before moving to the mainland. Ablan is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she was the editor of Ka Leo O Hawai‘i. She is also a proud public-school graduate from Radford High School.
“For 70 years, Hawaii Business has been the resource for our local business community,” said Susan Eichor, aio CEO. “With Jennifer’s deep understanding of business reporting combined with her roots and ties to our islands, Hawaii Business will continue to play that role and work hard to maintain that trust with Hawai‘i businesses. And we truly couldn’t be happier to bring a ‘local girl’ home after years of working on the continent.”
After nearly 40 years of reporting in Hawai‘i, Hawaii Business sends a fond aloha to Steve Petranik, editor and executive publisher. He has been the editor at Hawaii Business since 2009. Petranik will continue to consult and contribute to Hawaii Business through the second half of 2025.
“It has been an honor and privilege working alongside Steve these last few years. His leadership steered Hawaii Business through some challenging times. He helped introduce our digital newsletters, elevated our events, and headed up a magazine that received numerous national awards, including ‘Best Business Magazine.’ As he transitions into retirement, we’re happy that he will still be working with us in a part-time role,” added Coules.
About aio
aio is a family of businesses that spans many different industries but shares a mission to provide products and services that promote Hawaii’s unique values, its people and culture. We aim to provide the best products and services, but our larger mission is to leave the world a better place for future generations.
About Hawaii Business
Hawaii Business Magazine is a respected, relevant and innovative resource for Hawai‘i and its people. We have won more than 100 national and state awards over the past five years, including the prize for best regional business magazine in the country for three of the past five years.
Our stories cover the big issues impacting our island home, its people, companies and nonprofits, such as climate change, the cost of living, affordable housing, entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, education and other important issues.
Learn more and read articles at hawaiibusiness.com.
