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Paul Higo is back in Hawaii to manage the office of Deloitte & Touche, after 10 years away in Asia and on the Mainland
Paul Higo has been part of some really big deals and he's got the tombstones to prove it. The mementos of significant business events line the shelves of his new downtown office, where he took over as the Hawaii managing partner for Deloitte & Touche LLP in July.
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| Photo: Jimmy Forrest |
The 44-year-old Kalani High School graduate moved back home after spending 10 years away, working for Deloitte in New York, Hong Kong and Silicon Valley. During his years in Silicon Valley, he worked on the 2002 secondary public offering and debt offering for InVision Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: INVN), an explosives detection-devise manufacturer, that, at one time post 9/11, had the highest performing stock of any other company. General Electric Co. acquired InVision in 2004. Higo also has a tombstone commemorating the March 2004 dual listing on both the New York and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (NYSE:SMI), the largest wafer fabricator in China and the fourth largest in the world.
One thing all this big-money, big-world experience has taught Higo is the value of relationships. Higo says, "In China, I developed a lot of relationships within our Deloitte China practice, so anytime a company raised money or entered into a business transaction from there into the U.S., they would come through our Deloitte practice in Silicon Valley. When you deal with people in Asia, a lot of the business dealings are about trust."
In the case of Semiconductor Manufacturing, Higo says he met the company principals four years ago, when the Shanghai-based operation consisted of just 10 employees. The IPO raised $1.8 billion in the United States, the largest amount ever made here by a China company. In Hawaii, Higo is replacing former managing partner Lloyd Fujie, who is retiring. Fujie says, "[Higo] would call me and say, 'Don't forget, I want to come home.' I don't think he ever expected to stay away 10 years. I always planned to retire this year, so obviously he was the logical choice and we're all very happy."
The logical choice has got a wealth of experience to apply here. Higo says, "One thing I learned in Silicon Valley is that so much of technology is not about having to be in one place. Especially a lot of the Internet software and biotechnology companies, where you have a lot of the development and engineers in Asia. You might have an address on Sand Hill Road, which is in the heart of Silicon Valley, but that's only an address and 95 percent of your people, your marketing, sales and research people, are all over the world. I think that's inspiring."
His first two orders of business are finding the right people for the jobs here and getting out in the community to build the brand and, of course, reestablish relationships. After all, notes Higo, people, not businesses, make decisions: "Relationships are very important, and that applies whether you're here, in Asia or on the mainland U.S., whether it be New York City or California, or anywhere."
Relationships played into his decision to return home to a much smaller market from his position as lead client partner with Deloitte's Northern California/ Silicon Valley practice. Higo says, "There's no question that this is and always will be home for me. For 10 years, I've told thousands of people, because they always ask where you are from, that I'm from Hawaii."
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PAUL HIGO <
Hawaii Managing Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP Age: 44 Education: University of Hawaii, Executive MBA, 1992; Master of Accountancy, 1983; BA, Business Administration, Accounting, 1982 Work Experience: Various positions with Deloitte & Touche LLP offices; managing partner-Hawaii, July 2005 to present; lead client partner, Northern California/Silicon Valley Practice, 1999 to 2005; regional partner, Hong Kong, 1996 to 1999; various positions from staff accountant though senior manager, Honolulu, 1984 to 1995; research/technical manager, New York, 1990 to 1992 Hobbies: Family, travel and golf Family: Wife, Carrie; three daughters, ages 8, 5 and 4 monthsDo you like what you read? Subscribe to Hawaii Business Magazine » ADVERTISEMENT Email NewslettersSign up for our eNewsletters
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