Growth
Outside the
bankers box
How George Haligowski found his niche and turned Imperial Capital Bank into a winner
By Leslie Stevens-Huffman
Smart Business San Diego | November 2008
Page 1 of 4
When George W. Haligowski was offeredthe opportunity to serve as CEO ofImperial Capital Bancorp Inc. in 1992, itcame with a catch: The board wanted a 100percent return on its investment.
There was also the slight problem of thecompany having $100 million of its $400million in assets impaired, potential FDICaction was looming, and it was in the middle of the savings and loan crisis.
Haligowski knew he couldn’t control themacro events going on at the time, so theasking price seemed too high. He countered by offering a 50 percent return inthree years. If he failed to hit the numbers,the board could fire him. The board agreed.Haligowski was a crafty risk-taker, as thatgamble with the board paid off for bothparties. Following an IPO in 1996, hebought out the owners, giving them the 100percent return they originally requested,and then he set to work to turn the organization around.
To move forward, the chairman, president and CEO identified a niche opportunity, supported that niche and maintained patience throughout the process.
“The company was trying to be a lot ofthings to a lot of different people,”Haligowski says. “I think it just took afresh assessment from an outsider, andmy first thought was, ‘There’s no way wecan do all these things well. It’s a gambleto put all your eggs in one basket, butsometimes you just have to do it.’”
