- Great American Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
Anthony J. F. O'Reilly
H. J. Heinz Company
1979 - 1998
Food & Tobacco
b. 1936
| Education |  |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | University College, Dublin |
| Graduate | PhD, University of Bradford |
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Born-Died | 1936 |
| Birthplace | Ireland |
| Race | White |
| Father | Politician |
When he took the helm of Heinz in 1979, O’Reilly pursued an aggressive expansion plan including a reinvestment in core brands, a slashing of expenses, and an international acquisition program. The plan produced stellar financial returns for well over a decade – reinventing Heinz as a “hot stock” in the 1980’s with average shareholder returns of 31% (nearly double the S&P 500 index).