Paying It Forward

Some five decades after a scholarship gave him his start in business, Merle Hinrich is helping develop the next generation of Asian leaders in trade. He tells Ruth Shapiro how and why.

- Ruth Shapiro

Merle Hinrich transformed trade in Asia with his company, Global Sources. Founded in the 1970s to publish trade magazines, it has developed into a flourishing online portal that connects manufacturers and retailers around the world. Now, after a lifetime in business, Merle is turning his attention to philanthropy, shaking up the way scholarships are run in Asia.

Ruth Shapiro: Let’s start at the beginning of your story.

Merle Hinrich: I grew up on a farm in Nebraska. I had a professor who suggested I apply for a master’s scholarship to attend Thunderbird School of Global Management, which I was fortunate enough to receive in 1964 when I was 20. Attending Thunderbird changed my life and helped me realise the importance of combining theory and practice, as many of the professors came from business.

After graduating, I took a job with the East Asia Publishing Company and moved to Tokyo, which in the mid-sixties was still recovering from the war and new businesses were being built. For a young guy from Nebraska, nothing could have been more exciting. Within a few months, I became the sales manager and moved to Hong Kong.