Hermanus Philippus Johannes Bernardus Heinsbroek (born January 12, 1951) is a Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 entrepreneur

Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

 and was Minister of Economic Affairs in the First Balkenende cabinet

First Balkenende cabinet

The first cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende was in office in the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 16 October of the same year. The term of 87 days was the shortest since the fifth cabinet of Hendrikus Colijn .Following the 15 May 2002...

.

Personal life

Heinsbroek was born in Schiedam

Schiedam

Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...

 and grew up in Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

. His father was the assistant director of the Blankenheim & Nolet gin

Gin

Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...

 distillery. Heinsbroek studied business and civil law at the Erasmus University

Erasmus University

Erasmus University Rotterdam is a university in the Netherlands, located in Rotterdam. The university is named after Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, a 15th century humanist and theologian...

, graduating in 1975.

He started as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs: it is occupied with the external relations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including European cooperation and International development...

. After a brief time there, he left to become the company lawyer of CBS Music

Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....

 and eventually became the company's vice president in the Netherlands, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, and Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

. In 1979 he was hired as director of Arcade Music, and from 1983 to 1998 served as the company's chairman, overseeing the company's sale to Wegener in 1995.

Heinsbroek is known as a collector of luxury cars and of Chinese art.

Political career

Heinsbroek served in the first Balkenende cabinet as Minister of Economic Affairs, representing the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF). He served in the position from July 22, 2002 to October 16, 2002. His resignation, which came after continued public conflict with fellow LPF member and Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Eduard Bomhoff

Eduard Bomhoff

Eduard Jan Bomhoff is a Dutch Economist and Academic, and was Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and Deputy Prime Minister in the First Balkenende cabinet.-Personal life:...

, precipitated the collapse of the cabinet.