Bishop Museum's board of directors has announced a new CEO to lead the state's primary natural and cultural history institution. Kristofer Helgen is a scientist with more than two decades of experience in museum administration, according to a press release.
Starting Aug. 1, Helgen will replace outgoing CEO Dee Jay Mailer, who is finishing up a three-year commitment to Bishop Museum. Mailer assumed the role, initially as interim CEO, in early 2023, after the board fired three top executives.
A press release said the search for a new CEO drew more than 50 applications.
Originally from Minnesota, Helgen is currently the chief scientist and director of the Australian Museum Research Institute at the Australian Museum in Sydney, where he oversees 120 research and collections staff.
He's no stranger to Bishop Museum. In 2002, he studied the museum's animal collections as a student at Harvard University. He was also a research associate at the museum in 2007, and has helped to reidentify the museum's mammal specimens.
Before joining the Australian Museum, he worked for a decade at the Smithsonian Institution, where he was chief curator of mammals.
“Bishop Museum is known globally for its vast collection and its expertise in cultural and scientific research, and I am thrilled to be joining the team,” Helgen said in a press release.
“The Museum is at the forefront of cultural and scientific knowledge and discovery regarding Hawai’i and the broader Pacific. I look forward to learning from the staff, to sharing what I have learned in turn, and to working together to establish long-term growth and stability.”
