Palau officials Udui, Inabo join APAFS board of governors

Senator Rukebai Inabo

Palau Finance Minister Kaleb Udui Jr. and Sen. Rukebai Kikuo Inabo, AIF, have joined the board of governors of the Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies as two of three board members from the Republic of Palau.

Udui joins APAFS board members Patrick U. Tellei, EdD, president of the Palau Community College, and vice chairman of the APAFS board; and Palau Sen. Rukebai Kikuo Inabo, AIF, who chairs the Ways & Means and Financial Matters Committee of the 11th Olbiil Era Kelulau (Palau National Congress).

Udui was just sworn into office on Feb. 8, 2021, as Palau’s minister of Finance. His public service began as chief of the Division of Budget and Management in the early ’90s. In the late ’90s, he served as financial advisor to the ministry and manager for a UNDP project that covered Personnel, Tax, and Planning reforms. In the 2000’s, Udui worked in Banking and also served as president of the National Development Bank of Palau. His private business activities have been in banking, energy consulting, and in real estate. He has also served on various public and private boards, including Palau’s Banking Supervisory Board and the Palau Chamber of Commerce.

Udui has a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Guam and a masters of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii.

Inabo is serving her third term as a member of the Senate of the 11th Olbiil Era Kelulau.

During current term (2021 to 2024), she is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means and Financial Matters. In the previous Congress, she chaired the Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Communications and Housing Development. During the 9th OEK, she was chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, Public Utilities and Infrastructure.

Caleb Udui, Jr

Before joining the campaign for the Senate, Inabo was the chief executive officer and general manager of the Palau Public Utilities Corp. She also served as the chief financial officer of the PPUC for over 10 years. Her work experiences include beung vice president of the Bank of Hawaii Koror Branch and chief financial officer for Surangel & Sons Co. She has held other positions locally such as audit manager at the Palau Office of the Public Auditor.

She has served in other public positions as board chair of the National Development Bank for six years and board chair of the PPUC for four years .

Inabo graduated from Palau Mission Academy. She attended Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated with honors in 1980 with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. In 1983 she went back to the University of Houston and graduated in 1987 with bachelor of Business Administration BBA with Concentration on Finance and International Finance.

APAFS (www.apafs.org) is a Guam-based 501c3 association whose membership includes institutional investment funds throughout the Pacific Region. Its mission is to promote prudent stewardship through fiduciary education and to lead advocacy efforts on behalf of its membership. (PR)