Harald Link

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Harald Link
Born	Harald Link (1955-01-12) January 12, 1955 Basel, Switzerland
🏡 Residence	Bangkok, Thailand
💼 Occupation	Chairman, CEO, and Owner B.Grimm
💰 Net worth	$1.7 billion USD (Forbes 2018)
🌐 Website	www.bgrimmgroup.com

Harald Link (born January 12, 1955) is a Thai-German entrepreneur, industrialist, and philanthropist. Link is the chairman, CEO, and owner of B.Grimm, a multi-national conglomerate active in healthcare, energy, building & industrial systems, real estate, e-commerce, and transport. He is an independent board director of Siam Cement and True Corporation. He was named by the Tanoto Foundation and Asia Philanthropy Circle as the "Top 25 Most Impactful Philanthropists in ASEAN for 2018."

Link and his family support a number of philanthropic endeavors. He is the main corporate sponsor of the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and a sponsor of the World Wildlife Fund efforts to help recover Thailand’s tiger population.

In 2017 he established the first Gross National Happiness Centre outside Bhutan together with Princess of Bhutan Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck.

On the Forbes 2018 list of the world's billionaires, Link was ranked #21 in Thailand and #1215 globally with a net worth of US$1.7 billion. He is ranked #53 on ASEAN Up's 2018 list of ASEAN billionaires.

Early life and education

Link was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Monika (Ruedt) and Dr. Gerhard Link, and grew up in Lübeck, Germany.

Since the early 1900s, the Link family developed close ties to Asia. His great grandfather, Heinrich Ruedt von Collenberg, was the German Ambassador to China, located in Shanghai during the late 1800s.

His paternal grandfather was Adolf Link, a German pharmacist who later purchased ownership of B.Grimm. Adolf Link joined B.Grimm in 1903 and expanded the business through partnerships and prominent projects such as building Thailand’s Rangsit canals, the largest infrastructure project in Asia at the time.

Link’s aunt, Alma Link, became the first foreign woman in Thailand to receive the honorary title “Khunying” by HM the King in recognition for her tireless work for charity.

Link attended the University of St. Gallen and graduated in 1978 with an MBA degree.

He received an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from the Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya in 2016. The graduation ceremony was presided over by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Career

B.Grimm

Link is the 3^rd generation in his family to manage the B.Grimm group of companies. He joined the company in 1978 at age 23, and replaced his uncle Herbert Link as Chairman and CEO in 1988 at the age of 33.

In his role at B.Grimm he expanded the business from annual revenues of $10 million to nearly $1.5 billion. Link pursued a strategy of partnering with leading global companies which he admired and sought to bring their products and services into Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Link built long-standing equity partnerships with companies such as Amata Corporation, Merck, Carl Zeiss, Siemens, United Technologies, Maquet, Getinge Group, Beijer Ref, KSB, and others. He continues to serve as an executive board member in many of these companies’ Thailand operations today.

In July 2017, his company B.Grimm Power PCL filed an initial public offering on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The company is traded under the ticket symbol “BGRIM.” Global Capital Asia reports Link made $77 million from the share sale.

For his share in the development of German-Thai trade and economic relations, he was awarded the Cross of Merit on the ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1995 and in October 2010 with the Cross of Merit 1st Class.

His company's 140th anniversary was presided over by the Princess of Thailand HRH Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

In June 2018, he announced the construction of SE Asia's largest solar energy plant in Vietnam together with Thailand Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

Philosophy

Mahidol University's 2016 book, "Sufficiency Thinking: Thailand's Gift to an Unsustainable World" says, "Harald Link's 'business with compassion' philosophy embodies the application of Thai fundamental human principles to a fast-changing business world."

Board Governance

Link is the Chairman and CEO of publicly traded company B.Grimm Power PCL.

Link also serves as an independent director in Thailand of such companies as Amata City Company Limited, Siam City Cement (since September 24, 1998), True Corporation (since March 1, 2010), Siemens (Vice Chairman), Carl Zeiss, Merck, Beijer Ref AB, Vereinigte Schmirgel und Maschinen-Fabriken AG, G&L Beijer Tech, Kampa AG, and Carrier Thailand.

In November 2018, he transitioned his role as executive chairman of Carrier Thailand – B.Grimm’s partnership with United Technologies – to his daughter Caroline Link.

Philanthropy

Link is involved in philanthropic and charity activities across Thailand and Europe. The Link family has been a key supporter of the Princess Mother’s Charity Fund since its establishment to provide scholarships to Thai nursing students. They support the Chitralada Vocational School and Little Scientists House Project which improves educational outcomes in over 13,000 schools in Thailand. He is the Chairman and main benefactor of the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

Link also serves as an elected member of the Council of the Thai Red Cross Society.

Link is a patron of Bavarian-based Nymphenburg Porcelain, considered one of the core “cultural assets” of Bavaria.

On October 24, 2009, Link was bestowed with the honorary Malaysian title of “Dato” by the Sultan of Pahang.

He joined the former deputy prime minister Pridiyathorn Devakula and 15 business leaders for a pledge to protect Asia's elephant population.

Polo

Link is an avid polo player. He built and owns the largest polo club in Thailand, the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club, located near Pattaya, Thailand. The club opened in 2005 and includes three full-sized, international-standard polo playing fields, two practice grounds, and stabling for more than 250 horses. Link serves as the President of the South-east Asian Equestrian Federation.

On October 15, 2018, the Thai Polo team captained by Link won the 2018 Royal Malaysian Polo Association International League tournament.

Personal life

Link is married to Maria Assunta von und zu Liechtenstein, a princess of Liechtenstein, who contributes to his social projects and charitable endeavors.

He has two children.

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