- Source of Wealth: Business (Hilco Capital)
- Age: 58
- Birth Place: Belfast, Ireland
- Marital Status: Married
- Full Name: Paul McGowan
- Nationality: British
- Date of Birth: January 1962
- Ethnicity: Northern Irish
- Occupation: Executive Chairman and Founding Partner, Hilco UK Limited
- Education: University of Ulster (BA Accountancy)
- Children: 3
Belfast-born McGowan, 49, founder and chief executive of the turnaround specialist Hilco UK, took salary and dividends totaling £5.6m in 2009.
A former accountant, he was the chief architect of Hilco’s acquisitions of the Borders bookshop chain and Allied Carpets. Both had been struggling and had failed to find buyers. McGowan, who lives in Dundalk, also snapped up the 200-year-old pottery maker Denby and the Habitat furnishings chain. The London-based company has offices in Ireland, Germany, Spain, and South Africa. Hilco’s profit jumped 82% to £16.9m in 2009 with turnover up 96% to £95.8m. McGowan holds a 20% stake in Hilco UK. McGowan was able to bomb out high street brands and fix them so they can provide significant profits. He is a financier based in Dundalk who was active in Ireland with deals for HMV and A-Wear. However, the hoped-for turnaround for Xtravision did not materialize. The former accountant born in Belfast McGowan stepped down as Hilco’s chief executive last January to become the chairman responsible for the UK and international business development. This new role will allow McGowan to oversee the progress of Hilco’s operating companies in South Korea, Canada, the USA, and the UK. He currently has a net worth of $48 million.