"When a flower is on the left side, it means the woman is married. If it's on the right side, it means she is still available."
That feminine wisdom helps her to tap into her natural talent and self-confidence, and shapes her management style, which, she said, can be described in one word－empowerment.
That is, empowerment of her team, her employer, the airline's customers, staff and stakeholders. The key to that is honest, open and timely communications, she said. "I'm trying to bring what I've learned in my life journey to my team."
She believes that though people complain about even little problems, "every negative thing can be turned" into a positive outcome or a positive start for something new eventually.
Her 20-plus years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry are peppered with instances of negatives being converted into positives, she said.
Kimura began her career at Great Wall Sheraton in Beijing, the first Western hotel that opened in modern China. In 1999, she left China and went to Hawaii to pursue an MBA from the University of Hawaii, where she majored in international management with focus on China. After graduation, she worked at Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii before joining Hawaiian Airlines.
Her family is based in Hawaii, where they own a house, and Kimura relies on constant communications for work-life balance.
"We're really an international family. I try to communicate with my family members through social media. The physical distance makes every moment we spend together a treasure for us. When we are together, it's quality time, and I find that very gratifying."
Equally gratifying for her is the airline's record. For the past 13 years, Hawaiian Airlines has been rated as the most punctual U.S. airline, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Last year, it was named the most punctual airline globally by the UK-based air travel intelligence company OAG. The OAG Punctuality League, covering about 200 airlines, revealed that 89.9 percent of Hawaiian's flights arrived on time in 2016.
Kimura said every department and staff member of Hawaiian Airlines values the importance of safety and punctuality. They have become important parts of the corporate culture, something that Chinese travelers have come to expect from the airline, she said.
