The same innovative thinking and persistent hard work that distinguished the earliest eras of Parker Ranch history continue to inspire modern-day Parker Ranch. Large-scale ranching, the business that put the Ranch on the map 175 years ago, continues to be a vital element. However, new and diverse industries are also in development. And, like the well-known innovators of the past, today’s Parker Ranch team continues to aspire to new levels of excellence moving forward into the future, under the direction of Neil “Dutch” Kuyper, president and CEO.
“Born on Oahu, Kuyper had longed to return after serving as chief operating officer for Capricorn Investment Group and, previously, managing member of Morgan Creek Capital Management,” writes Kate Siber in the alumni journal for the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where Kuyper earned his degree. “After nearly 28 years away, and crossing paths with investors like Julian Robertson who seeded Morgan Creek, he decided the time was right for a change and returned with his wife and four children. ‘The irony was we had chosen the lifestyle and the life of the Big Island and Waimea before we ever knew that the opportunity would exist for me to be CEO of the ranch,’ said Kuyper. ‘It’s kind of a lesson in taking a leap of faith.’