Hawaii Business Magazine Welcomes Home New Editor With 28 Years in Business Reporting
Hawai‘i-Raised Jennifer Ablan to Take the Helm Following Steve Petranik’s Retirement
aio and Hawaii Business Magazine are pleased to welcome home Jennifer Ablan as the new editor in chief. Ablan will bring 28 years of experience in business journalism back home to Hawai‘i in her new role starting May 7.
“We are thrilled to have Jennifer lead the editorial team at Hawaii Business Magazine,” says Publisher Kent Coules. “She has worked for Reuters, The Financial Times and other major publications, interviewed billionaire investors, and has a deep knowledge of investment markets. We’re delighted to give her the opportunity to come home and be Hawaii Business’ 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 multimedia 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, 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 Capital 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 the oldest regional business magazine in the country,” Ablan says. “I feel privileged to be from Hawai‘i and excited to help elevate this publication with a history of great storytelling. The magazine will continue its deep-dive reporting on the biggest topics that affect Hawai‘i’s people and businesses as well as touch on global issues such as the ongoing trade wars.”
Early in her career, Hawaii Business Editor Steve Petranik hired her at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin before she moved to New York City. Ablan is a graduate of UH Mānoa, where she was the editor in chief 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,” says Susan Eichor, CEO of aio, Hawaii Business Magazine’s parent company. “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 editing and reporting in Islands, Hawaii Business sends a fond aloha to Steve Petranik, editor and executive publisher. He has been the editor at the magazine 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,” Coules says. “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 dozens of national awards, including three times as country’s best regional business magazine. As he transitions into retirement, we’re happy he will still be working with us in a part-time role,”
About aio
aio is a family of businesses that spans many different industries but shares a mission to provide products and services that promote Hawai‘i’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. In the past decade, we have won hundreds of national and state awards , including the annual prize for best regional business magazine in the country three times.
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 and education .
Learn more and read articles at hawaiibusiness.com.
