In this candid and deeply practical session at EDGE 2026 in Sydney, William Heinecke shares the entrepreneurial journey behind Minor International, from a $1,200 loan at age 17 to a multi-billion-dollar global hospitality and restaurant group.

Through stories of building Thailand’s first mozzarella industry, losing the Pizza Hut franchise and launching The Pizza Company in 45 days, navigating a $4 billion acquisition before COVID, and rebuilding after massive losses, Heinecke illustrates disciplined scaling, decisive leadership, and people-first management.

The session underscores communication during uncertainty, hiring talent smarter than yourself, failing fast, empowering teams emotionally, and building brick by brick rather than chasing scale prematurely.

Key Takeaways:
• Scale requires discipline before ambition.
• Leadership is about pulling people forward, not pushing them.
• Passion and communication sustain organizations through crisis.