|
Andrew M. Heller, WG'79
By Robert Gunther
Andrew Heller likes to tell the story
that the reason he went to the
Wharton MBA program was that an
air hockey table arrived at his frat
house at Wesleyan University on
the day he had set aside to fill out
his Harvard application. "I chose to
become fraternity air hockey champion rather
than write my application," he joked.
It was certainly an unlucky break for Harvard.
To say Heller is a devoted alumus is an understatement.
He has been a member of the Wharton Graduate Advisory
Board for the past nine years, chair of The Wharton Fund for
the past three and has chaired several reunions. In June and
July, he raced around the world for the "Triple Crown" of
Wharton alumni events – attending all three global alumni
forums, in Moscow, Shanghai and Mexico City (along with
fellow graduate board member Matt Greene, WG'89). The
global meetings represented just half of the six Wharton
alumni events Heller attended in a two-month period.
Under his leadership, Wharton Fund donors increased
from less than 6,000 in 2001 to approximately 7,500 in
2004, and annual contributions climbed from $5.6 million to
approximately $6.5 million. The 2003 and 2004 MBA classes
set new records for participation and donations. Of course,
Heller doesn't take credit for The Wharton Fund's success.
"It wasn't me," he said. "I greatly admire what Steve
Oliveira has accomplished at Wharton. I've loved being involved
in the Wharton Fund."
His commitment reflects his gratitude to Wharton for giving
him his start in business. "I have been extraordinarily
fortunate in my life," he said. "I love what I do for a living,
and Wharton played a huge role in my ability to accomplish
what I have. I realized that my education and the opportunities
it afforded me were instrumental to my success."
Born in Chicago, Heller became interested in business
while working for his father's electronics distribution company
in Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from Wharton in
1979, Heller joined Deloitte Haskins & Sells as a management
consultant. Then, he left to found his own company,
Heller Capital, a private investment company that provides
financing for start-up companies and acquisitions in many
industries, as well as for a variety of real estate ventures.
Along the way, he bought a medical device manufacturer
and grew the business by eightfold in three years. He
also co-founded a company that originated the first mortgage
over the Internet (and sold it before the dot-com bubble burst).
All of which doesn't leave much time these days for air
hockey – although he has an air hockey table, pool table
and a number of other "toys" in the basement of his home
in McLean, Virginia.
He is passionately devoted to education. "I decided in the
early 90s that education would be the focus of my charitable
ef forts," said Heller, who also chaired a capital campaign
that raised millions of dollars for the Langley School, where
his two children attended. "I believe great educational
institutions will produce our leaders of the future."
|
