Company History

John Cavanah, CPCU founded Cavanah Associates, Inc. in 1976. At this time they were a general insurance agency, specializing in commercial risks. From these beginnings, Cavanah Associates grew in both commercial and personal lines insurance.

By 1981, Cavanah Associates experienced tremendous growth after John’s nephew Jim Cavanah joined the team. In addition to the growth in general insurance, Cavanah Associates developed and enhanced their auto aftermarket business. Vehicle Service Contracts, GAP, Vehicle Theft Protection, Paint and Fabric Sealant products, among others, were introduced and sold in the Hawaii market. This portion of business enabled Cavanah Associates to gain a specific knowledge of the auto dealership business in Hawaii and beyond.

As Cavanah Associates moves into 2021 and beyond, the growth of Cavanah Associates remains strong. Our excellent staff provide a superior level of knowledge and service to our customers. We understand the competitive nature of the industry which is why we pride ourselves in offering the highest level of service to our customers.

Meet Our Team

Meet Our Executives and Producers

Jim Cavanah is the President of Cavanah Associates.

JIm Cavanah, CPCU

Jim has been with Cavanah Associates since 1981 and has been President since 1998. Jim is a graduate of the University of California in Berkeley, the past President of Hawaii CPCU chapter and Hawaii Independent Insurance Agents Association. He currently serves as President of the Alakea Corporate Tower Board of Directors. Jim has over 39 years of commercial and personal insurance experience; as an insurance company underwriter, in sales, and as a manager. Jim has lived in Hawaii since 1981 with his wife and three kids.

Pablo Rodriguez, CIC

Pablo joined Cavanah Associates in 1997 and is the Agency Operations Manager and part of our Sales team. Pablo is a graduate of the University of Washington and carries a Certified Insurance Counselor designation. Pablo has over 25 years in the insurance industry, six of those as a claims adjuster. Pablo has lived in Oahu for over 25 years with his wife and two children.

Chris Laniauskas

Chris Laniauskas has been with our sales team at Cavanah Associates since 2005. Born in Hong Kong, Chris moved to Hawaii at the age of five and speaks Cantonese & Mandarin. After graduating from Punahou School, Chris received his B.A. from the University of Southern California. Chris has over 14 years of experience in the insurance industry and is Past President of the Underwriters Association of Hawaii and currently the President of the Hawaii Independent Insurance Agent’s Association (HIIA).

Joe LUI-KWAN

Joe came on board with the Cavanah Team in 2020 as part of Cavanah Dealer Services. Joe’s experience has been in the car business since 2003 focusing on aftermarket products such as Extended Service contracts for vehicles, GAP protection, paint and sealant products, and tire and wheel programs. His attention to detail and customer service will be a valuable addition to our capabilities at Cavanah Dealer Services. Joe resides in Honolulu with his wife Shawna and two sons. He looks forward to working with dealers to assist them in growing their business.

Linda Anderson

Linda became a member of the Cavanah Associates, Inc. Auto Dealer Services team in 2014. A graduate of San Diego State, Linda earned her B.A. in Sports Medicine. After college, Linda moved into the auto dealership business and worked throughout the stores. Working as the Finance Director for three different dealer groups, Linda provided onsite training, management roles, and leadership for her department. Her finance director’s skill set has led Linda to become an effective and dependable sales support for dealers in the Cavanah Associates network. Linda currently resides in Kailua.

Zach Kometani

Zach began as an insurance agent at Cavanah Associates in 2016. Born and raised in Honolulu, HI and he graduated in 2008 from Punahou School and later earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a focus on marketing, at the University of San Diego. After 3 years at USD Zach was selected for the 2011 Major League Baseball amateur draft by the San Diego Padres. While with the Padres, Zach finished his last year of at USD and played 5 years of professional baseball prior to moving back home and joining Cavanah Associates.

IAN HOGAN

Ian is focused on providing commercial and personal insurance solutions to individuals and businesses. With diverse experience in insurance, banking, and the food industry, Ian has worked around the world leading strategic corporate initiatives from construction to offshore software outsourcing and digital transformation roadmaps. He holds a BA in International Business from the University of Puget Sound, a PMI Project Management Certification, and an Advanced Project Management Certification from Stanford University. When he's not working, Ian loves spending time with his wife and children in the great outdoors and currently serves on the Board of the Institute for Human Services.

Gary Scheuring

Gary joined Cavanah Associates and Cavanah Dealer Services back in 2022 after 38 years in the Automotive industry. While working in that industry he developed and led sales and service teams in the local car dealerships. For the last 10 years, Gary has been the Director of Training and Development for a large Automobile Group here in the islands. Cavanah now offers a variety of Training and Staff Development programs for their clients led by Gary with his breadth of experience. Gary has lived in Hawaii since 1981 and has three children. He is also a recreational hockey player and started the local league here in 1983.

Companies We Represent

Cavanah Associates, Inc. represents the following companies (click on the logo to go to their website):

Auto Companies We Represent