Title: Senior Investment Consultant
Company: UBS
Location:  Honolulu, HI United States

Bringing her exuberance for living to both her personal and professional life, Karen Yasukawa has thrived in the more than three decades she’s been in the financial services industry. She began her career with Aetna Life Insurance Company, where she served as the manager of the employee benefits division and the general manager of Aetna Capital Management. From there, Ms. Yasukawa progressed to become the vice president and senior consultant of Kemper Securities, and then in 1996, she joined Smith Barney as first vice president and senior investment management consultant. Finally, in June 2007, she joined her current employer, UBS, where she serves as a senior investment consultant. Ms. Yasukawa also leads the defined contribution investment consulting practice of The Kikawa Group, which includes working with plan sponsors on effective plan design, vendor due diligence, reviewing and monitoring the plan’s current fund line-up, and other activities.

Ms. Yasukawa attributes her success to her ability to read what is not said and interpret body language. In recognition of her efforts, she was named among the Top 400 401K Advisors in the United States by Financial Times in 2015. Ms. Yasukawa was also honored to have been selected to represent UBS at Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisors Summit, and is a member of The International Women’s Leadership Association. She finds it inspiring to step back and think about her blessings, and considers her greatest accomplishments to be her 42 years of marriage and raising two children who are truly good people.

To prepare for her career, Ms. Yasukawa received a series 6 license from Aetna, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Hawaii. She also holds a CIMA designation from the Investment Management Consultants Association, an accredited investment fiduciary designation, and the global financial steward designation. When Ms. Yasukawa isn’t working, she serves as a founding member of the Western Pension & Benefits Conference, the director of the Hands of Hope Foundation, and a legacy member of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. She is also a member of the Metropolitan Rotary Club of Honolulu, the Investment Management Consultants Association, and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

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