Live to Give: An Interview With William Heinecke

Billionaire William Heinecke prefers not to merely write cheques in the cause of his philanthropy. Rather, he looks for corporate social responsibility to be interwoven into the very fibres of his day-to-day business.

William Heinecke’s staff always look forward to his birthday. But he doesn’t throw a party or share a cake. Every year on 4 June, the US-born, Thailand-based billionaire gives his entire workforce the day off so they can spend it helping the community. “Whether they are painting a school or doing something for charity, this day is their gift to me,” he said.

This approach to philanthropy has become a stamp of Heinecke’s giving mantra. The Bangkok-based founder of publicly listed restaurant, hotel and retail operator, Minor International (MINT), does not just write cheques. He prefers corporate social responsibility to be interwoven into his day-to-day business.

Many of his philanthropic contributions have come from proceeds from a book he authored, The Entrepreneur: 25 Golden Rules for the Global Business Manager, which has been published in four different languages and had various reprints.

Elephant conservation is a major passion. “Since commercial logging was banned in 1989, elephants and their mahouts have been unemployed. Many were just roaming the streets and begging,” Heinecke explains. He founded the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation in 2001 as part of one of his hotels, the Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa, which he raises money for through the glamorous annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo match. To date, the competition has raised US$750,000 for the foundation.

His entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy may revert to writing cheques one day. When Heinecke feels his company is sustainable, he will join the Giving Pledge of Bill Gates and donate at least half of his wealth to charity. “It is my personal goal to give more away over the years to come as we owe this to future generations. Currently, I am very focused on ensuring the continued sustainability of the company — long-term business success so that we can ensure a bright future for all our stakeholders.”

— “I’m not a big self-promoter when it comes to philanthropy. The best types of philanthropy are not exposed to the public because if you are doing it to raise your profile it is for the wrong reasons.”

— William Heinecke

What keeps him up at night? The thought of the direct and indirect impact he has on staff. “We employ 45,000 people. We say for every one employee we affect 10 lives, so that is a lot of responsibility.”

A recent leap in profits for MINT meant that Heinecke, who owns a third of the company, was propelled into billionaire territory for the first time. MINT now operates more than 1,400 restaurants, 250 retail trading outlets and more than 100 hotels in 27 countries from Australia to Africa. His most well-known business is the luxury Anantara Hotel Group, whose postcard-perfect resorts are beloved by VIPs and celebrities from R&B star John Legend to footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and tennis champion Roger Federer.

Source:Billionaire