Profile on Michael Lee Chin
Profile on local Entrepreneur – Michael Lee-Chin
Due Date: June 11, 2012
Profile on Michael Lee-Chin
Jamaica has, over the years, produced some very influential and successful entrepreneurs. As a matter of fact, Jamaicans are known to excel in just about everything we do. In my opinion, the epitome of Jamaican excellence in entrepreneurism is none other than Mr. Michael Lee- Chin. Michael Lee-Chin, Chairman, Portland Holdings Inc is regarded as a visionary entrepreneur whose philosophy of “doing well and doing good” as resulted in phenomenal and inspiring philanthropic initiatives.
The eldest of nine children, Lee- Chin was born in rural Port Antonio, Jamaica in 1951. He came from a biracial parentage; his mom was a Chinese Jamaica and his father a Black Jamaican. His mother sold Avon products, and worked as a bookkeeper for various local firms, while his stepfather ran a local grocery store. Lee-Chin attended the local high school, Titchfield High, between 1962 and 1969.
Lee-Chin acquired his first job in 1965 working as part of the landscaping team at the Frenchman 's Cove Hotel. In 1966 he got a summer job working on the Jamaica Queen cruise ship, cleaning the engine room. In 1971 he was able to obtain a scholarship sponsored by the Jamaican Government tofinish study Civil Engineering at McMaster University. After beginning post-graduate studies, Michael decided to explore career opportunities within the mutual fund industry (Portland Holding Inc, 2007). In 1977, he was motivated to start his own business when a friend told him about a shortcut to riches called mutual funds. Lee-Chin dropped his business studies, quit his job as a bouncer and took a one-week course in suburban Toronto with a mutual-fund company called Investors Group. In the first month when he started, he made $10,000. He figured that if it was so easy to sell mutual funds, then mutual-fund companies were the place to invest.
In 1983, Lee-Chin secured a loan from the
Due Date: June 11, 2012
Profile on Michael Lee-Chin
Jamaica has, over the years, produced some very influential and successful entrepreneurs. As a matter of fact, Jamaicans are known to excel in just about everything we do. In my opinion, the epitome of Jamaican excellence in entrepreneurism is none other than Mr. Michael Lee- Chin. Michael Lee-Chin, Chairman, Portland Holdings Inc is regarded as a visionary entrepreneur whose philosophy of “doing well and doing good” as resulted in phenomenal and inspiring philanthropic initiatives.
The eldest of nine children, Lee- Chin was born in rural Port Antonio, Jamaica in 1951. He came from a biracial parentage; his mom was a Chinese Jamaica and his father a Black Jamaican. His mother sold Avon products, and worked as a bookkeeper for various local firms, while his stepfather ran a local grocery store. Lee-Chin attended the local high school, Titchfield High, between 1962 and 1969.
Lee-Chin acquired his first job in 1965 working as part of the landscaping team at the Frenchman 's Cove Hotel. In 1966 he got a summer job working on the Jamaica Queen cruise ship, cleaning the engine room. In 1971 he was able to obtain a scholarship sponsored by the Jamaican Government tofinish study Civil Engineering at McMaster University. After beginning post-graduate studies, Michael decided to explore career opportunities within the mutual fund industry (Portland Holding Inc, 2007). In 1977, he was motivated to start his own business when a friend told him about a shortcut to riches called mutual funds. Lee-Chin dropped his business studies, quit his job as a bouncer and took a one-week course in suburban Toronto with a mutual-fund company called Investors Group. In the first month when he started, he made $10,000. He figured that if it was so easy to sell mutual funds, then mutual-fund companies were the place to invest.
In 1983, Lee-Chin secured a loan from the
References: http://www.portlandholdings.com/Info.aspx?disp=history_founder