Leaders Investing in Leaders: Gil Minor's Story

This article is the inaugural feature in the Presidential Precinct’s “Leaders Investing in Leaders” series – offering regular spotlight stories about the champions who enable us to further our mission to invest in leaders and transform our world.

“Where does humility come into the formula for success? I think it is right at the top.”

This principle unequivocally drives the life and work of G. Gilmer “Gil” Minor, III, Chairman Emeritus of Owens & Minor Inc. Since the inception of the Presidential Precinct in 2013, Gil has consistently stepped in as one of our organization’s most enthusiastic supporters. We recently had the opportunity to learn more about his lifelong commitment to integrity and perseverance to make his community and our world a better place.

Getting Started in the Family Business

Thinking back to his freshman year in high school, Gil is quick to admit that the kickstart to his career did not happen overnight. “I came home one evening knowing my report card had been delivered, and I knew it was not good,” he said. “My father and mother were standing there in the door waiting for me. Turns out, I had failed five out of six subjects. It was far worse than I had thought. I remember that night there was a light rain. I went out for a walk around the block, and I told myself I better make some decisions about what I wanted to do in life – should I follow in my father’s footsteps and pursue leadership at Owens & Minor, or should I make my own way?”

Gil was not yet convinced that the family business was for him, but quickly pursued an education at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) where he was also co-captain of the football and baseball teams, class of 1963. Many years later, VMI would induct Gil into their Sports Hall of Fame for football and baseball. After VMI, Gil found his way to the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and earned his standing as the President of the University’s rugby club. He would go on to lead his team through an undefeated season in the fall of 1965.

It wasn’t until his graduation from the Darden School that Gil finally decided to take a job with the company, then known as Owens, Minor, & Bodeker (OMB). Still not letting his education get in the way of his humility, Gil reflected “I had my MBA, but I still didn’t know anything about working with people. My father wouldn’t pay me what I thought I was worth. But he was exactly right to do so! I needed experience.”

Not long after starting with OMB, Gil played a leading role in moving the growing company’s focus from the wholesale drug business to distribution of hospital supply products across the United States. Gil was elected President of the company in 1981, and just several years following his election, Owens & Minor Inc. achieved one billion dollars in annual revenue. Hospital supply remains the focus of Owens & Minor today, and the company continues to grow. It is now a $10 billion Fortune 300 company.

In summary, Gil says “I had plenty of failures along the way, but I sure have learned a lot.”

A Legacy of Giving

“My father was very active in the community and believed in giving back his time and energy. That influence was very positive on me,” Gil says in hindsight. And now, for Gil personally, he affirms that each one of his philanthropic gifts is not so much a charitable donation, but to him, an investment.

His spark to begin support of the Precinct began back at the 2016 Global Leadership Forum – an event presented in partnership with the University of Virginia that featured remarks from Madeleine Albright and Toyosi Ogunseye, 2014 Presidential Precinct Alumna now the Head of West Africa for BBC World Service. With more than a lifetime of dinner events behind him, Gil found the “hope and possibilities in the room” that evening to be unprecedented. The dynamic, global conversation and what he perceived as a universal commitment from all guests to collaborate across regions on tackling the world’s most pressing challenges, left an indelible impression. Gil knew then that he wanted to be a part of advancing this young organization.

“Taking in the passion, expertise, and commitment of these young changemakers in the room, I could see clearly the opportunity for each one of them to lead transformative change through the vehicle of the Presidential Precinct,” Gil said recently, with disbelief that over four years had passed since that Forum.

This cadence of hope continues to bring Gil back to Precinct events. His eager participation in our Forums, both in-person and virtual, is unmatched. “Learning is never finished” – Gil not only reminds us of this Jeffersonian adage, but his life and story embody it. He claims “we must accept the fact that there might be another way to do something in order to be successful,” and from Presidential Precinct alumni, we hear regular, personal stories of brilliant innovation beyond the status quo.

Reflecting on the Precinct’s Mission

Gil’s excitement comes mostly from the Precinct’s commitment to creating open spaces of dialogue for young leaders to identify and prioritize their own personal and organizational values. He personally uses the below diagram as clear illustration for driving forces in his leadership at Owens & Minor, but acknowledges that as we bring together the brightest minds from all over the world, solutions and values must be tailored to address different political and cultural environments. These differences in values and solutions coming from our program participants bring a backbone of global diversity to conversations at the Precinct, in turn, elevating the perspective for everyone at the table.

Gil reminds us all that the Precinct is a place to talk about both success and failure – affirming that “without failure, you’ll never be able to know what success looks like.” He also believes that on any scale, we must be resilient in maintaining a team-based mindset. This mindset, according to Gil, has driven the many decades of success for Owens & Minor, and it will also drive the success of our globalized world.

Now seven years into our mission of engaging and inspiring young leaders, the Precinct’s growth has afforded opportunities to measure alumni impact tied to governance, human rights and justice, and other core focus areas in various regions of the world. “I am reminded of how gratifying it is that my investment in the Precinct allows me to be a part of transformational change which elevates the lives of so many individuals in corners of the world I’ve only read of,” Gil reflected.

Our heartfelt thanks to Gil Minor for his unfailing support of the Presidential Precinct and our community of alumni. Only because of Gil and other faithful supporters, we are able to sustain our programming priorities even as the COVID-19 pandemic distances our world. Gil’s humility has touched each one of us at the Presidential Precinct, and in effect, continues to fuel our engagement with visionary leaders worldwide. With deepest affection, thank you Gil, from the Presidential Precinct family worldwide.