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Michael Heller (businessman)

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Sir
Michael Heller
Born
Michael Aron Heller

(1936-07-15)15 July 1936
London, England
Died30 January 2023(2023-01-30) (aged 86)
NationalityBritish citizenship
EducationHarrogate Grammar School
Alma materSt Catharine's College, Cambridge
OccupationBusinessman
Known forBusinessman, philanthropist
SpouseMorven Heller

Sir Michael Aron Heller (15 July 1936 – 30 January 2023) was a British business executive and philanthropist.

Early life

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Michael Aron Heller was born in London on 15 July 1936,[1][2] and educated at the Harrogate Grammar School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.[3] He graduated from St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he received a Master of Arts degree in 1955.[3][4]

Business career

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Heller served as the Chairman of Bisichi Mining.[3] He also served as the Chairman of London & Associated Properties.[3][5] Additionally, he served as the Chairman of Electronic Data Processing.[3]

Philanthropy

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Heller co-founded the Michael & Morven Heller Charitable Foundation in 1988.[6] Thanks to a charitable gift they made to the Magen David Adom UK Friend Society in 2006, a Mobile Intensive Care Unit which drives pregnant women in Israel to the nearest hospital was named in their honour.[7] Eight years later, in 2008, as a result of another donation, an ambulance was also named in their honour.[7]

In 2010, they attended a fundraising dinner for the British ORT, a Jewish charity.[8]

They also contributed to the Hampstead Theatre and the London Jewish Cultural Centre.[9][10] They donated to the Save Van Dyck for the National Portrait Gallery to acquire Anthony van Dyck's self-portrait.[11]

Heller served as the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel.[12] By 2012, he had donated over GBP£100,000 to the Conservative Party.[12] In 2014, he attended a GBP£50,000 dinner with Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron.[13] He also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies, a center-right think tank based in London.[3] He later served as a member of its Board.[14]

Heller was named a Fellow Commoner by his alma mater, St Catharine's College, in 2003.[4] He received an honorary degree from Sheffield Hallam University in 2010.[15]

Heller was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours "for charitable services".[12][16]

Personal life and death

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Heller was married to Morven Livingstone, Lady Heller (b. 1940), daughter of Dr Julius Livingstone, a family doctor, and Pearl (née Levy). Morven was raised with her younger sister, human rights lawyer Frances Raday, in Manchester.[17] Together they resided in Hampstead, north London.[12]

Heller was a member of the Royal Automobile Club, a private members' club.[3] He also collected modern art.[3]

Heller died on 30 January 2023, at the age of 86.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Sir Michael Aron Heller". WHO'S WHO 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Bisichi Mining plc". Companies House. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Michael Aron HELLER". Debrett's. Retrieved 15 October 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b "Sir Michael Heller". St Catharine's College, Cambridge. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  5. ^ "DIRECTORS & ADVISORS". London & Associated Properties. Archived from the original on 20 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  6. ^ Drury, Flora (31 December 2012). "'Great treat' to be knighted, says Hampstead man". Ham & High. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Ambulance Dedication Ceremony – Sir Michael & Lady Morven Heller". Magen David Adom. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  8. ^ "London diners collect £400K for Ort's schools". The Jewish Chronicle. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Current Patrons". Hampstead Theatre. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Patrons". London Jewish Cultural Centre. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Van Dyck: A Master of Everyone: Supporters". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d Mason, Rowena (29 December 2012). "New Year Honours List 2013: Tory donors get gongs: Property tycoons who have given more than £160,000 to the Conservative Party have been given awards in today's New Year Honours List". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  13. ^ Blanchard, Jack (12 November 2014). "David Cameron's Tories in 'cash for access' backlash as donors pay £50,000 to have 'Dinner with Dave'". The Mirror. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Sir Michael Heller". Centre for Policy Studies. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Leading philanthropist receives honorary degree". Sheffield Hallam University. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Knights Bachelor: Knighthood" (PDF). gov.uk. p. 2. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Frances Raday". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  18. ^ London & Associated Properties Plc - Sir Michael Heller, Chairman, Passes Away
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