William E. Heinecke

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William Heinecke, 2006

William Ellwood Heinecke is a successful businessman in Thailand. He is the CEO and Chairman of Minor Corporation, the CEO and Chairman of Minor International, and Chairman of Minor Food Group.

1 Biography
2 Minor International
3 The Pizza Company
4 Quotes
5 Timeline
6 Biography Links
7 Company Links

[edit] Biography

His father served 25 years in the U.S. military through two wars and then joined the foreign service. His mother worked as an Asian correspondent for Time Magazine.

Heinecke was born in 1949, moved to Bangkok in 1963 and soon started an office-cleaning company. His business expanded to public relations and marketing. In 1974, Heinecke sold his radio advertising agency to Ogilvy & Mather. He started Minor International in 1978.

The businessman built his hotel, restaurant and consumer brand empire from scratch, starting with an office-cleaning company at the age of 18. Despite the setbacks of the Sept. 11 attacks, the SARS outbreak and the tsunami on the local tourism industry, Minor International PCL expects 2006 net profit to rise 30% (source).

Heinecke opened the first Pizza Hut in Asia in 1980 in Pattaya, Thailand. After a 20-year relationship as the exclusive franchiser, Heinecke split with U.S.-based Tricon Global Restaurants (now Yum! brands, owner of the Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell franchises). It was a very famous quarrel. Heinecke filed suit against Tricon in New York City, fighting in part against a new global noncompetition clause in Tricon's international franchise agreement.

In 1991, Heinecke became a Thai citizen.

In 1998, Heinecke rallied Thai shareholders in the Regent Bangkok hotel in order to resist a takeover attempt by U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs. In 2005, Heinecke increased his company's stake in the Regent Bangkok, now known as The Four Seasons Bangkok Hotel, to over 90%. This acquisition further raised Minor's holdings of the famous Four Seasons Chiang Mai hotel from 60.3 percent to 68.9 percent.

He supports the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre via the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament. He was a past president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand. Mr. Heinecke is also the author of The Entrepreneur which is now in its fourth English edition and has been translated into several languages including most recently Mandarin.

Today, some people believe that Bill Heinecke is one of the best known expatriates in Southeast Asia. He has two sons - David and John - and lives with his wife Kathy in Bangkok.

In a video interview with AME Info, Heinecke considers people like Lee Iacocca and Rudy Giuliani to be his leadership role models.

[edit] Minor International

He consolidated the Royal Garden Resort Plc and Minor Food Group Plc companies under a single parent company listing in January 2005.

Minor International operates nine hotels in Thailand with a total of 1,955 rooms under three brands: Marriott (franchise), JW Marriott (hotel management contract), and Four Seasons (hotel management contract). Minor International has its own brand, Anantara, and manages a 122-room hotel in Vietnam.

In a 2003 strategic move, Minor International acquired Heinecke's MINOR Food Group PLC (MFG), which is the largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) operator in Thailand. MFG operates four international franchised QSR brands (Swensen's, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, and Burger King) and its own brand (The Pizza Company). At the end of December 2005, there were a total of 482 outlets and 76 sub-franchises located in Thailand and overseas.

Minor was reclassified as a food and beverage company from a hotelier by the exchange in July 2005, when restaurants accounted for about 60 percent of sales. Growth in Minor's Pizza Company, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, Burger King and other fast-food brands is accelerating faster in tourist destinations than in the capital Bangkok, Heinecke said (source).

[edit] The Pizza Company

Heinecke has opened three Pizza Company outlets in Kuwait last year and one in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in May. Also included is another of his franchises, a Swensen's shop. There are plans for a total of 50 Pizza Company and Swensen's restaurants in the United Arab Emirates; six pizzerias and four ice cream outlets in Kuwait; and 50 Pizza Company restaurants in Saudi Arabia (source).

[edit] Quotes

"I was born an American, I was raised an American. I adopted Thai citizenship, but I don't think just because you carry a Thai passport that you become a Thai. I think of myself as a guest in Thailand." (source)