HOT Magazine HOT Magazine - Issue 11, 12 Volume 5 | Page 67

Bill took out other franchises and
purchased businesses growing MINT
into one of Asia’s largest restaurant
companies with over 2,000 outlets
operating in 19 countries under The
Pizza Company, Swensen’s, Sizzler,
Dairy Queen, Burger King, Coffee
Club, Thai Express, BreadTalk, Ribs
& Rumps and Riverside brands. In
addition it operates several food
manufacturing facilities.
Additionally, MINT is one of
Thailand’s largest distributors of
lifestyle brands focusing primarily
on fashion and household products.
With over 300 locations its brands
include Gap, Banana Republic,
Brooks Brothers, Esprit, Bossini,
Charles & Keith, Pedro, Etam,
Radley, Anello, Zwilling J.A.
Henckels, Joseph Joseph and ETL
Learning. MINT also operates the
bemynt online shopping website
and is a contract manufacturer of
household products, with its own
manufacturing plant.
Other businesses in Bill’s empire
include MJETS, Thailand’s largest
jet charter provider as well as a large
property development business
building residential and commercial
properties. In 2015 Bill was honored
with the “Real Estate Personality of
the Decade Award” by the editors of
Property Report Magazine at their
annual Thailand Property Awards
gala dinner. The award was given for
being “Consistently influential and
instrumental over the past decade in
not only shaping Thai real estate, but
also promoting Thai brands in the
global arena,”
Bill became a naturalized Thai
citizen in 1991. In addition to being
an entrepreneurial businessman he is
a jet pilot & race car driver. He is also
a published author having written
“The Entrepreneur: 25 Golden Rules
For the Global Business Manager.”
Bill married his high school
sweetheart Kathy in 1968 and they
have two sons, John and David.
According to Kathy “Bill and I feel
very strongly about giving back to
the people and country of Thailand
who have been so good to us.
Our primary charity is the Roy E.
Heinecke Scholarship Fund, which
was set up in the name of Bill’s father.
The foundation so far has provided
education to over 850 under-
privileged children from nursery
school to the University level”
Another way Bill and Kathy give
back is through their Founder’s Day
program. On Bill’s birthday, June
4th, all the different divisions of the
company, including international
divisions make it a charity day or
take on a charity project.
The Heinecke’s are also well known
for their yearly Anantara King’s Cup
Elephant Polo Tournament. Now
in its sixteenth year, the festival has
become one of the biggest charitable
events in Southeast Asia with over
US$1.5 million (BHT 50 million)
raised and donated to projects that
better the lives of Thailand’s wild and
domesticated elephant population.
Next year's King’s Cup takes place
from March 8th – 11th by the banks
of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River next
door to the Anantara’s Riverside
Hotel.
Russ Downing, Managing Director
of HOT Hua Hin Property, recently
had the delightful pleasure of visiting
with Bill at his Bangkok penthouse to
discuss his amazing life and business
career and shares that conversation
here.
RD: Bill, I once asked your wife
Kathy how you stay on top of all the
businesses you have, while at the
same time constantly expanding your
empire? She said it was due to the
many good people you have working
with you. Watching you accept the
Thailand Property Award’s Real
Estate Personality of the Decade two
years ago, your speech was all about
the talent you had at Minor and
recognizing their efforts, not yours.
Do you feel that your ability to lead
people was a God given talent or was
it something you had to learn and
nurture?
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