Fluent in six languages including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Laotian, Mr. Sananikone is an experienced international development economist and business executive whose career has spanned many countries of the Asia-Pacific region.  He has been professionally active in China and Southeast Asia for over two decades.  His professional career highlights include: Operations Officer for the Asian Development Bank (1975-78); Chief Economist and Director of Asian Operations for Louis Berger International (1978-84); Executive Vice President and COO of Hawaiian Agronomics International (1984-1987); President of PacMar (1987-present).

Under his guidance, PacMar has completed a large number of projects for the Asian Development Bank, USAID and major public and private sector enterprises in China and other Asia-Pacific nations since 1988.  He has been a Board member of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), the sole and oldest national advocacy group for Southeast Asian Americans based in Washington, DC and is also an alumnus of the East West Center, a current member of the East West Center Foundation Board and is the first EWC alumnus from Asia to be appointed to the East West Center Board of Governors by the Governor of Hawaii.

Mr. Sananikone, a recipient of the 2003 University of Hawaii Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award, holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Hawaii; an M.A. in economics from University of Colorado, and has completed specialized post-graduate training in macro and natural resource economics at Colorado State University.