Owensboro native and Brescia University graduate Rick Higdon was the featured speaker for Thursday’s Remote Rooster Booster, and he delivered a message about the importance of developing a broad perspective and embracing change.
“The world doesn’t stand still and it’s always in a constant state of change,” Higdon said. “Change seems to be the thing that generates a lot of stress in people. To develop that ability to accept and embrace change helps us to grow as a people and society.”
Higdon grew up in Owensboro and earned a liberal arts degree from Brescia. He currently lives in Atlanta, but spent the last three decades living and working around the world.
“It wasn’t until later that I realized how (getting that degree at Brescia) had prepared me, not just in my professional life, but for life in general. In retrospect, I can reflect on what it means to have received that education. … All of my professors were challenging me to think more broadly, to open my mind, to look at things from different perspectives. It was sort of training me to get out of my own way.”
Higdon has spent the past 35 years working in various finance, sales and executive management roles in the technology industry. He has deep experience in international business development and has worked with companies in the energy, mining and transportation industries.
After early roles in internal audit and corporate accounting, Higdon went to work for an ERP software firm where he managed global budgeting and planning while living in Australia and then moved to South America where he took on a business development role.
He later worked as CFO of a mobile computing firm and led the sale of the company to private equity firm GFI Energy Ventures. He then worked for GFI as president of an operating unit and supported the roll up of four technology firms which were later sold to Oracle.
After leaving GFI he founded the systems integration firm Turnpoint Solutions, and after seven years of growth Rick sold the company to Five Point partners who were later acquired by EY. Rick worked at EY as an Executive Director before retiring in 2016.
“That liberal arts broad perspective challenged me to open my mind and appreciate differences rather than thinking other cultures had to change to meet my expectations,” Higdon said. “Without this, I could have never succeeded in the situations I encountered operating around the globe.”
That mindset translates to Owensboro, he said.
“As Owensboro looks to grow its local businesses and attract other businesses or draw talent to the community, it is imperative that we embrace diversity,” Higdon said. “I would say it’s imperative for sustainability of the community.”
