In 2003, when California resident Ben Weitz was close to earning his master’s in speech at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, he was certain of one thing: One day, he would return to Hawaiʻi to work, live and raise a family. Twenty years later, that prescient vow has been realized. In October 2023, the College of Social Sciences’ alumnus began his position as executive director of Shangri La, Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design. Shangri La is the center of the Doris Duke Foundation on the stunning Diamond Head coastline.
“Since starting with Shangri La, I’ve been inspired and challenged every day,” Weitz said. “While it is certainly a museum, Shangri La is also an international center for transformation, and we are leading conversations of local, national and global significance.”
Weitz has had an impressive career since earning his MA in the College of Social Sciences department now known as communicology.
“I credit UH with giving me the leadership building blocks that made me an empathetic, strategic and creative executive,” Weitz said. “Thanks to the program and its exceptional faculty, my communication and listening skills were optimized at a relatively early time in my career. One of my greatest mentors was my thesis advisor, Dr. Amy Hubbard. She had the patience of a saint and always had the best advice for me. I am forever grateful for her mentorship.”
The Los Angeles native was previously the inaugural chief brand officer for UCLA; before that, he spent a decade leading brand marketing and storytelling at Disney in Burbank, California.
“Without question, these two experiences will inform the kind of brand cohesion that is critical to Shangri La’s identity,” Weitz said. “The goal is to appropriately translate that identity to the diverse audiences who visit Shangri La. They learn about global cultures and are transformed by its design and collection, while we’re also introducing it to so many from our islands who have not heard of Shangri La or have only seen it from Cromwell’s (beach).”
For more about his time at UH Mānoa and anticipation for the job ahead, see the entire story on the College of Social Sciences website.
