Mr. Hignell is an Executive Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Industrials Group. He has nearly two decades of cross-border M&A and capital-raising experience. Mr. Hignell is based in the firm’s Tokyo office.
Previously, Mr. Hignell was a Director at GCA Corporation, which was acquired by Houlihan Lokey in 2021. Prior to joining GCA in 2020, he spent 15 years supporting M&A and capital-raising projects in the energy, chemicals, and infrastructure sectors, initially at HSBC and subsequently at PwC Japan. Mr. Hignell’s previous experience includes four years working in London, three years in Hong Kong, and nine years in Tokyo.
Prior to starting his investment banking career, Mr. Hignell worked for a U.K. accountancy firm specializing in financial due diligence in support of M&A and fundraising projects.
Mr. Hignell holds a master’s degree in Natural Sciences (Chemistry) from the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He speaks business-level Japanese and has passed the highest-level Japanese language proficiency test.