20 for the Next 20: Jay Ana, Young Brothers

The president of Hawai‘i’s largest interisland shipping company has focused on communications, trust and efficiency to sustain a 125-year legacy.

Jay Ana
President, Young Brothers

When Jay Ana became Young Brothers’ president in 2020, he says, the company was going through a financial crisis and communication problems with employees and customers.

“The center of our troubles was really an issue of trust,” says Ana.

The Covid pandemic made it even more challenging. But he was confident he had the “right skill set to lead the organization and drive change.”

The interisland shipping company is now in calmer waters and has mended relationships with customers, says one major client. Peter Dames, president and CEO of Servco Pacific, says that in the past, “communication kind of just went through the window,” and that Servco had supply chain and interisland shipping issues with YB.

But when Ana rejoined the company as president after a year and a half away, he made Servco feel secure about their relationship, Dames says, adding that Ana is “very transparent, a great communicator and just makes you feel very comfortable as a customer.”

Ana credits his father, who served in the Navy, and his mother for shaping his leadership skills and teaching him the values of sacrifice and perseverance. He says his can-do attitude and work ethic is “a byproduct of watching” them.

The Filipino American spent much of his childhood in Mililani struggling with communication skills.

“I really spoke Tagalog as a first language and Tag-lish (Tagalog and English) when I was educated,” says Ana.

But he has turned communication into a strong suit. Ana graduated from UH Mānoa with a degree in accounting and management information science and has more than 20 years of experience as a finance leader in Hawai‘i’s business community.

After working at KPMG and Securitas Security Services, he joined YB in 2014 as director of accounting and finance, where he drove improvements in finance, efficiencies and service and secured investments for the company. Then after 19 months at Advantage Webco Hawaii, he returned to YB as president.

“In 2020, the focus was really on making sure that we survived,” he says. More recently, the focus is increasing efficiency.

After the devastating Maui wildfires, Ana says, YB was integral to the emergency response and recovery, partnering with FEMA, the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross and other transportation companies.

He says he’s proud that YB, founded in 1900, is in a position “to serve this community for 125 more years.”

“And not just by moving cargo but having an impact on the community in a way that other organizations aren’t able to.”