Sonu Shivdasani

OBE
Sonu and Eva Shivdasani by Antonina Gern
Sonu and Eva Shivdasani by Antonina Gern
Born1965 (age 58–59)
England
Occupation(s)Founder and CEO of Soneva
Known forEco-friendly resorts in Maldives and Thailand

Sonu Shivdasani OBE (born 1965) is an Indian-British hotelier, and the founder and CEO of Soneva (Guardian of the Culture), which owns luxury resorts, Fushi, Jani and Aqua in Maldives and Thailand. He is also the founder and former CEO of Six Senses Resorts & Spas, which had locations throughout South East Asia and Europe, and was sold in 2012.

Early life and education

Sonu was born in England, the youngest son of Lakshmi and Indoo Shivdasani (1918-1979), an Indian businessman who made his fortune trading in Nigeria, with his offices based in London and Geneva.[1] His parents were originally from Sindh in British India (now Pakistan), though his father had immigrated to England long before the Partition of India.[2] He studied at Eton College in England, followed by Le Rosey in Switzerland, later graduated from Oxford University with an MA in English Literature in 1988.[1][3][4]

His grandfather was an Indian Civil Services officer, while his father, who studied at Clare College, Cambridge built his business in finance, trade and agro-allied industries in West Africa, India and Europe. Later he founded the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation in 1976, which funds education for students in India.[5] His father died in 1979, when he was 13, leaving his older brother Azad to look after the family business. His elder sister, Bina Shivdasani, Countess Sella di Monteluce (1949–2006), worked in the field of women's education and was the first Asian High Sheriff of Greater London in 2002.

Career

After graduating from Oxford, Sonu started working with his older brother Azad Shivdasani managing the family businesses.[1] After having worked together for two years he founded Six Senses BVI. In 1995, Sonu and his wife Eva, who took on the role of Creative Director, opened Soneva Fushi on the Island of Kunfunadhoo in the Maldives. Together they started the Evason group of hotels and the Six Senses Resorts & Spas, with properties opening across South East Asia and Europe. In 2009 they opened Soneva Kiri on the island of Koh Kood in Thailand. By 2011, Six Senses was an international luxury spa and resort chain with 26 resorts and 41 spas.[6] Sonu sold Six Senses to Pegasus Capital in mid-2012, to focus on Soneva's resorts and Private Residences as part of the "One Owner, One Operator, One Philosophy, One Brand" strategy under Soneva.[7][8]

Sonu is one of the founders of the Soneva Foundation (previously known as the SLOWLIFE Foundation), a UK-registered charity. In 2023, Sonu was honoured as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to tourism, sustainability and charity in the King’s New Year Honours 2023 Overseas and International List.[9]

Personal life

He first met Eva Malmstrom, a Swedish model, through his sister, the late Countess Bina Sella di Monteluce, at the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. They later married[1] and spent their honeymoon traveling around some of the world’s most exclusive hotels and resorts, inspiring them to open their own. They leased a resort in the Maldives and set about creating their dream and a few years later opened Soneva Fushi.[10] Eva became a designer and went on to become Soneva's Creative Director and Conscience, designing interiors at their resorts in the Maldives and Thailand.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Vir Sanghvi (27 March 2010). "A rich man's world". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "The luxury king: Sonu Shivdasani's Six Senses resorts are playgrounds for the super-rich". The Telegraph. India. 10 January 2010. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "Executive Profile: Sonu Shivdasani". Business Week. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "'Life's easy if you enjoy what you are doing'". The Times of India. 17 February 2002. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  5. ↑ "Poets of hope". Business Standard. 24 September 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  6. ↑ "Six Senses to redefine luxury for Indian consumers: Shivdasani". The Economic Times. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Soneva Group History". Soneva website. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Q & A SONU SHIVDASANI, Chairman & CEO Soneva Group". Luxury Travel Bible. 19 June 2012.
  9. ↑ "Soneva founder, CEO Sonu Shivdasani awarded OBE in King's New Year Honours 2023 list". The Economic Times. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Vir Sanghvi". virsanghvi.com. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "Travel Insider: Sonu and Eva Shivdasani". Harper's Bazaar. 16 November 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
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