Growing up, Ruth Fukunaga Uejio never expected to work for the family business. However, she eventually gravitated to Servco Pacific Inc. because of its commitment to local values and serving the community. She’s the perfect fit for her role as Servco’s Chief Financial Officer, as well as HMSA’s newest member of the Board of Directors. She was raised surrounded by local values and also gained a global perspective and experience after attending colleges on the Mainland and working at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., and the national accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP in San Francisco.
You’re from Oahu, but you also spent your early days on Maui and Molokai. What was that like?
It was a humble upbringing with a lot of family time. We spent quite a bit of time outdoors, learning how to lay net, catch fish, and at the beach in general. I have so many fond and joyful memories of my early childhood days. It was also during those early days that my parents’ lessons about leading a healthy lifestyle really took shape. My parents strongly believed in keeping our minds and bodies healthy. Even today, my 83-year-old mother is probably the healthiest person I know. She walks between five to 10 miles every day, eats exceptionally well, and is the one teaching us kids about something new she read or heard on the news. Above all else, she constantly thinks about how grateful she is and has an extremely positive mindset. She should probably be the one on HMSA’s Board or the one to be interviewed! My father passed away in 2012, but he was the exact same way.
How does growing up in Hawaii shape your work ethic, leadership style, and approach to life?Hawaii really makes you appreciate community since everyone knows everyone. You grow up knowing it’s your kuleana to take care of your community and each other. Growing up, my parents passed on so many critical values to us that still shape how I live my life. A strong work ethic was particularly important. It was always about trying our very best and working hard, particularly in academics. Additionally, my parents taught us to always remain humble, hungry to learn more, and equally impressed upon us the importance of having a broad perspective.
For example, my parents believed the world should be our classroom. For a period of time during elementary school, they took us out of the traditional classroom. They essentially viewed the outdoors as one big classroom. They believed that we would learn so much more by being outside and experiencing everyday real life. These experiences, values, and ethics that my parents instilled in my brother, sister, and me have been foundational to us.
Ruth Fukunaga Uejio is Servco's chief financial officer.
Giving back to the community is one of the things that attracted me to work for Servco. I was working for a terrific global financial services firm, but I wanted to come back to a Hawaii company with a strong local community focus. I believe investing in the local community is critical. We all need to help each other to succeed.
Servco's humble beginnings in 1921. Photo courtesy of Servco.
Yes. HMSA is incredibly important to Hawaii. The impact it has on the people and communities it serves is critical. I wanted to be part of an organization that plays such a vital role in supporting the health and well-being of Hawaii.
I’ve been an HMSA member since my first full-time job when I was offered insurance and have always been an HMSA or Blue Cross Blue Shield member. I’ve always valued having access to exceptional health care and appreciate all that HMSA has done to support my own personal health journey.
Ruth Fukunaga Uejio is the newest membe of HMSA's Board of Directors.
That’s something I strive to balance every day with the help and support of so many people. I have the privilege and honor of working with an amazing team at Servco. They inspire me every day at work. It really does take a village on the family front – my husband, son, and wider family support me in so many ways. On the health front, one of the tactical things I do is schedule my workouts in my calendar. I aim to do them first thing in the morning so that I won’t have an excuse to avoid them at the end of the day. I’ve also borrowed concepts from Nudge (written by University of Chicago economist and Nobel Laureate Richard H. Thaler and Harvard Law School professor Cass R. Sunstein) to develop stronger habits that make healthier choices as easy as possible. When I’m at the grocery store, I skip unhealthy snacks so they’re not available at home. I pack a healthy lunch for work to avoid being tempted by the alternative. I eat the same breakfast every day, whether I’m home or traveling for work, to give myself a healthy start to the day because if you don’t have your health, you really can’t do anything else, right?
Photos by Earl Yoshii
Read more about Ruth Fukunaga Uejio in the spring 2026 issue of Island Scene magazine.
Meet other dedicated HMSA board members
Meet HMSA’s first woman president
Meet HMSA’s chief executive officer
