Bishop Museum selects natural scientist as new CEO

Bishop Museum has named natural scientist Kristofer Helgen as its new CEO, following a five-month, worldwide search.

Helgen will assume his post Aug. 1, the museum said in a news release, replacing Dee Jay Mailer, who is completing her three-year commitment.

He currently serves as chief scientist and director of the Australian Museum Research Institute at the Australian Museum in Sydney, where he oversees 120 research and collections staff, according to the release. Helgen was selected among more than 50 applicants.

“We were delighted to receive a huge response to our search from within and beyond Hawaii,” said Patrick Kirch, museum board member and selection committee chair, in a statement. “Kris stood out in many ways, but especially for his vision regarding the importance of museums in our contemporary world. His strong experience in museum administration combined with outstanding scholarship and research in the natural sciences in and around the Pacific makes him the right choice to lead our museum into the future.”

Helgen, who was born and raised in Minnesota, has centered his scientific career in the Pacific region, with a focus on biodiversity, environmental impact and conservation. He is affiliated with universities and museums around the world.

He studied Bishop Museum’s mammal collections as early as 2002, while doing research as a student at Harvard University, and became a research associate in 2007. Over nearly two decades, he has helped to re-identify many of the museum’s mammal specimens.

Before joining the Australian Museum, Helgen worked as chief curator of mammals at the Smithsonian Institution.

“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,” said Helgen in a statement. “The Museum is at the forefront of cultural and scientific knowledge and discovery regarding Hawaii 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.”