Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Minor Group
One of the best-known expatriates in Southeast Asia, Bill Heinecke is the driving force behind the unparalleled successes of the stable of subsidiaries under the Minor Group umbrella. These companies add up to an impressive list of leading global brands across the lifestyle and leisure sectors with a proud heritage that is deeply rooted in Thailand. Minor Corporation manufactures and markets a portfolio of leading fashion, cosmetics and leisure brands, while Minor International currently operates 16 world-class hotels and resorts and more than 630 branded food service outlets across Asia and the Middle East.
A visionary, entrepreneurial spirit, an unshakable commitment to succeed, and a hands-on management style have formed the cornerstones of Bill Heinecke’s meteoric rise as an icon in the business world.
Born in 1949, William Ellwood Heinecke moved to Bangkok in 1963 with his family. Having previously been based in Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, the expatriate life was no novelty to them. His father served 25 years with the US military through two wars and later joined the foreign service, while his mother worked as an Asia correspondent for Time magazine. Bill became a student at the International School and, almost at once, began demonstrating the rare entrepreneurial skills that would become a hallmark of his remarkable career. Passionate about go-karting, he persuaded the editor of Bangkok World to let him write a column on the subject, his wish was granted but on condition that he secured advertisements to run alongside it.
Bill’s first venture proved so successful that, at the age of 17, he took over from the paper’s advertising manager while still attending school. By the time he graduated a year later, he launched Inter-Asian Enterprise to supply office cleaning services, and Inter-Asian Publicity – a radio advertising company – with around US$ 1,200 he had borrowed. The latter he later sold off to Ogilvy & Mather and, in 1967, founded Minor Holdings that would grow into The Minor Group over the next four decades, spanning more than 30 companies. Bill Heinecke was on his way, with an extraordinary series of triumphs and a few setbacks that he met philosophically: “Deals are like buses,” he was quoted as saying. “There will always be another one along the way.”
He married his high school sweetheart, Kathleen, in 1968 and they have two sons, David and John. A fine balance between family life and empire building saw him embark on his first hotel venture in 1978, the Royal Garden Resort in Pattaya. Though his endeavours have included advertising agencies and other hotels in Bangkok, Hua Hin, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and beyond Thailand’s borders, he is probably best known as the man who successfully introduced American-style fast foods to Thailand in the late 70’s and 80’s – brands like Mister Donut, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.
In 1991, Bill Heinecke became a Thai citizen. Still actively involved in a day-to-day basis in the empire he founded – especially overseeing global expansion plans – he now makes time to enjoy hobbies like piloting his airplane, scuba diving or racing vintage cars. A two-time past president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, he sat on the Prime Minister’s Foreign Investment Advisory Council, and is also a keen supporter of the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre. He authored The Entrepreneur, which has subsequently seen several reprints and has been translated into a number of languages.