Bernard Nunies.
HPU is proud to announce the appointment of Bernard Nunies as its new Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective December 1. Nunies is returning to HPU, where he served as Director of Human Resources Operations and Staff Relations from 2016-2019 and as an adjunct faculty member. He holds more than 25 years of domestic and international leadership experience in human resources, operations, and business consulting in Hawaiʻi, Micronesia, and Japan. Born and raised in Kalihi, Nunies is the oldest of five children, attended Puuhale Elementary, and is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools.
“It is a privilege to return to HPU and serve such a diverse and vibrant ‘ohana. Throughout my career, I’ve seen how inspired people can elevate and transform organizations. I’m excited to help foster a culture that empowers our faculty, staff, and students to learn, grow, and thrive together,” Nunies said.
As Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Nunies will serve as the senior executive overseeing all facets of human resources at the University, which has over 1,200 employees in 50 states. In this role, he will provide strategic leadership for recruitment and retention; employee relations; training and professional development; compensation and benefits; and organizational and HR policy development, while ensuring compliance with applicable employment and labor laws and regulations. Reporting to HPU President John Gotanda, Nunies will lead the human resources department in aligning HR programs and initiatives with the University’s mission, goals, and strategic priorities.
Most recently, Nunies served as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Tradewind Group, where he led people and culture strategy across a diverse family of companies. His accomplishments include launching a company-wide leadership development program, creating the Learning Academy with over 50 annual professional development offerings, and driving organizational alignment through major technology, branding, and workflow innovations.
During his previous tenure at HPU, Nunies played a critical role in strengthening HR service, policy development, and university-wide talent efforts. He successfully led executive searches across multiple divisions; developed new onboarding and enculturation programs that significantly improved first-year retention; organized the professional development conference for faculty and staff; and guided HPU through complex immigration, labor relations, and compliance matters with expertise and steadiness.
Across his career, Nunies has been known as a thoughtful, relationship-centered leader with a deep commitment to employee engagement and a proven ability to support large, diverse workforces across multiple locations. He has also made meaningful contributions to the broader Hawaiʻi community through service on the Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, SHRM Hawaiʻi, and the Waiʻalae Elementary Charter School Governing Board, among other roles.
Nunies holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame and maintains senior-level HR certification (SHRM-SCP). He is also an experienced HR certification instructor and an advocate for leadership development at every level.
