Craig Watanabe

Description

Craig is a seasoned executive and consultant with over four decades of experience in insurance, risk management, financial services, and auditing. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Craig’s career reflects a trajectory of leadership, innovation, and technical expertise across both private and public sectors, with a particular focus on captive insurance, regulatory compliance, and strategic consulting.
As the owner of Craig Watanabe LLC since 2010, Craig provides specialized consulting services in captive and traditional insurance, including strategic planning, and regulatory support. His prior roles include Regional Manager at Strategic Risk Solutions, where he oversaw captive insurance clients and served as a technical resource for management and compliance, and Chief Financial Officer at DTRIC Insurance Company, directing financial activities for a domestic Hawaii insurance group affiliated with a large international insurance company from Japan. He has also held senior leadership positions at AIG Insurance Management and Johnson & Higgins Global Captive Management, pioneering captive insurance operations in Hawaii.
Craig’s public sector experience includes a decade as Deputy Insurance Commissioner & Captive Insurance Administrator for the State of Hawaii, where he established and directed the State’s captive insurance regulatory unit. He was directly involved in providing support and testimony for refining amendments to Hawaii’s captive insurance laws and regulations, as well as participated in NAIC meetings, and conducted a special regulatory briefing for the IAIS. He also advised and assisted the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia with refining its captive insurance regulatory regime and training of its staff.
Craig holds an MBA in International Business and Finance from the University of San Francisco and a BS in Administration & Management Science and Economics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Hawaii Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.