Thomas G. Shimizu is Guam Business Magazine 2022 Executive of the Year

Thomas G. Shimizu is named the Guam Business Magazine 2022 Executive of the Year. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

TUMON, Guam—Thomas G. Shimizu, general manager, Ambros Inc., Marianas Pacific Distributors Inc., Shimbros International Inc., and South Pacific Distributors Inc., was named the Guam Business Magazine 2022 Executive of the Year at a packed gala last Feb. 11 at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

Shimizu is featured on the cover of the Guam Business Magazine January- February issue, which was released at the gala.

Besides Shimizu, six other executives vied for the award:

• Frank A. Cruz, vice president and general manager of Guam Fast Foods Inc., which does business as KFC Guam and Sbarro Guam;

• Jimmy T.C. Hau, president, Mobil Oil Guam Inc., President, Mobil Oil Mariana Islands Inc. and president, Mobil Oil Micronesia Inc;.

• Charles B. Hazzard III, president, CEO and project director, DZSP 21;

• Charlie S. Hermosa, general manager, Guam-Micronesia, APL; president, Bella Wings Aviation; and president, Hermosa Ventures LLC, which does business as Guam Gift Baskets;

• Siska S. Hutapea, founder and president of Cornerstone Valuation Guam Inc.; and

• Ken Yanagisawa, general manager, the Tsubaki Tower and Hotel Nikko Guam; president/director, PHR Management Inc.; managing director, Ken Real Estate Lease Ltd.

Shimizu graduated from Fr. Duenas Memorial School in 1987. He then attended St. Louis University where he graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s of science in business administration.

While in college, he interned at the Anheuser Busch Partners in Productivity, where he participated in consulting to Anheuser Busch Distributors to help improve profitability of their operations. Following graduation in 1991, he began his upward career with Ambros, first as IT manager, reviewing several computer systems for Ambros. He then rotated to different divisions in the company, including operations, and eventually went on to lead the Marianas Pacific Distributors on Saipan as manager. At each position, he was able to, among other things, make improvements to the system, increasing efficiency, reduce costs and improve performance.

In 1995, he became the general manager for Ambros Inc. Guam, where he remains today. At the helm, he continued to make improvements, reflected in the increased revenue from $35 million in 2001 to $70 million in 2020. He has implemented a growth strategy for the company via addition of new products and expansion of new territories for existing products, including establishing branch operations in American Samoa.

Shimizu has also served for many years in various community organizations, including as the director of the Northern Marianas Asset Acquisition Inc. board of directors (2019 – 2020); director of Guam Chamber of Commerce board of directors (2019-present); director of the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association board of directors (2004 – 2005); and Bank Pacific board of directors member (2021- present). (PR)