Businessman Robert Gay touts value of service

SALT LAKE CITY — Robert Gay believes that he has a higher purpose in his life than just making money.

Over the years, Gay has made a fortune in business, but he said Friday that money does not matter if you are unable to use it to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

"At the end of the day, your life has to be given to service," he told the Deseret News after delivering the keynote presentation at the annual meeting of the Utah Technology Council at the Grand America Hotel.

"It's not just about building a business (or) about growing a company. It's not about anything other than helping others in your community through business become better people."

Gay is managing director, co-founder and the chief executive officer of Huntsman Gay Global Capital, a billion-dollar private equity investment he founded with industrialist Jon M. Huntsman Sr. Gay also served as a managing director of Bain Capital and was one of the firm's senior partners.

He resigned as a full-time partner from Bain Capital when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked him to take a volunteer assignment as its mission president for the countries of Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia from July 2004 to July 2007. In 2001, he co-founded Unitus, a global micro-credit company that aims to help people across the world lift themselves out of poverty.

He told the audience of about 300 people Friday that everyone can do their part to serve their community by giving their time if not financial support.

"There isn't any way that someone can't share of themselves," he said.

He said he learned the importance of giving from his father, a successful businessman in his own right and a protégé of multibillionaire Howard Hughes.

"He taught me from the time I was a little boy to always remember that it's more important to give," he said.

"Don't put yourself first; put others first. Go build great products (and) great companies, and as you do that, you'll find relationships that will help your businesses succeed."

e-mail: jlee@desnews.com