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In eighth grade, Hicham's parents decided to send him to the United States to join his older brothers, who were already settled in California. Upon arriving in San Francisco, he enrolled in high school and by the age of seventeen, he was attending college.
Initially, Hicham pursued electrical engineering with a well-defined academic roadmap in mind: to earn an engineering degree from San Jose State University followed by an MBA. «In the US, if you choose to specialize in engineering, you can pursue a master’s in engineering. However, if you aspire to enter the realm of 'technical business,' you must later transition into business», Hicham explained to Yabiladi.
Combining business and engineering
After obtaining his engineering degree, Hicham worked as a field engineer at Integrated Device Technology. Following his MBA, he embarked on a career that harmonized the two domains. «It was my passion. I aimed to delve into technical business, knowing it would be beneficial for my future career by integrating both engineering and business», he reflected.
During his tenure at Integrated Device Technology, Hicham held various positions involving «technical business development», managing international accounts such as Nokia, Alcatel, and Cisco, and nurturing client relationships.
Subsequently, he was recruited by IBM, where he served as director of strategic partnerships, primarily focusing on artificial intelligence and early detection of skin cancer.
In 2015, Hicham ventured into entrepreneurship, leveraging his extensive decade-long experience in technology and business. He founded Spire, a company dedicated to bridging African and Gulf States companies with Silicon Valley tech firms.
«It started with a small team, an advisory group, and a couple of partners», he reminisced. Spire specializes in establishing partnerships and joint ventures for Silicon Valley companies, facilitating distribution contracts and centers of excellence primarily in the Middle East and Africa.
Silicon Valley and Africa
Over the past decade, Hicham has collaborated with Silicon Valley giants such as Google and PayPal, facilitating partnerships with companies worldwide, including Morocco. «The Paypal-Attijariwafabank partnership is one of the significant projects we've undertaken. We facilitated negotiations over a year, resulting in an exclusive partnership between Paypal and Attijariwafabank in Africa», he proudly declared.
Hicham's dual cultural background, having lived in both Morocco and the US, proves to be a significant asset in his business negotiations, bridging cultural divides and understanding different working methodologies.
While language barriers have historically posed challenges, Hicham notes a shift, with the younger generation, many of whom have American backgrounds or education, seeking expedited solutions.
Another obstacle to such partnerships, according to Jorio, is access to capital in Morocco. «Morocco is still nascent in raising capital internationally compared to other African countries. This poses a significant challenge», he emphasized.
Looking ahead, with major events like the 2030 World Cup on the horizon, Hicham stresses the need for Morocco to secure equity partners to raise necessary funds.
Beyond private clients, Hicham aims to collaborate with governmental entities. This aspiration recently materialized with the approval of the Investment Charter by the Ministry of Investments. «We worked with them for six months before approval, marking a significant achievement as one of the first entities to be approved under the new project», he shared.
Hicham's involvement with Silicon Valley companies extends to angel investing. Moreover, in Morocco, he serves as a board member for a foundation dedicated to gene therapy, raising funds for life-saving treatments.
