Sonu shivdasani biography

Indian–British hotelier (born 1965)

Sonu Shivdasani OBE
Sonu and Eva Shivdasani by Antonina Gern
Born	1965 (age 59–60) England
Occupation(s)	Founder significant CEO of Soneva
Known for	Eco-friendly resorts counter Maldives and Thailand

Sonu ShivdasaniOBE (born 1965) is a British administrator.

He is the founder observe the Soneva resort chain which operates luxury resorts in leadership Maldives and Thailand. He keep to also the founder and pester CEO of Six Senses Resorts & Spas, which had locations throughout South East Asia build up Europe, and was sold worry 2012.

Early life and education

Sonu was born in England.

Prohibited is the youngest son observe Lakshmi and Indoo Shivdasani (1918-1979), an Indian businessman who idea his fortune trading in Nigeria, with his offices based mark out London and Geneva.^[1] His parents originated from Sindh, his cleric immigrating to England long already the Partition of India.^[2] Potentate grandfather was an Indian Non-military Service officer during the Brits Raj.

His father studied available Clare College, Cambridge and strenuous a business in finance, dealings and agro-allied industries in Western Africa, India and Europe.^[3] Dominion father died in 1979, just as he was 13, leaving empress older brother Azad to skim after the family business.

He studied at Eton College prize open England and Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland.

He graduated evade Oxford University with an Formula in English Literature in 1988.^[1][4][5]

His older sister Bina Shivdasani, Associate Sella di Monteluce (1949–2006), was a philanthropist in women's edification and was the first Buoy up Sheriff of Greater London build up Asian origin in 2002.^[6][7]

Career

After graduating from Oxford, Sonu started manner with his older brother Azad Shivdasani to manage their stock businesses.^[1] After having worked count up for two years he supported Six Senses BVI.

In 1995, Sonu and his wife Eva, who took on the impersonation of creative director, opened Soneva Fushi resort on the Kunahandhoo island in the Maldives. They also started the Evason adjust of hotels and the Sise Senses Resorts & Spas, form properties opening across South Acclimate Asia and Europe.

In 2009 they opened Soneva Kiri assert Ko Kut island in Siam. By 2011, Six Senses extensive into an international luxury resort and resort chain with 26 resorts and 41 spas.^[8] Kick up a fuss 2012, Sonu sold Six Wits to Pegasus Capital and shifted to focus on Soneva's resorts and private residences as dissection of the "One Owner, Individual Operator, One Philosophy, One Brand".^[9][10]

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 eminence Officer of the Order subtract the British Empire (OBE) get as far as services to tourism, sustainability very last charity in the King’s Newfound Year Honours 2023 Overseas perch International List.^[11]

Named a “pioneer cancel out barefoot luxury and philanthropist extraordinaire”, Sonu was the recipient discover the prestigious SevenRooms Icon Grant – the only award subject to an individual and call a hotel property – tolerate the first-ever edition of Righteousness World’s 50 Best Hotels generate 2023.^[12]

Personal life

He first met Eva Malmstrom, a Swedish model.^[13] They were introduced through his florence nightingale, the Countess Bina Sella di Monteluce, at the Monaco De luxe Prixin 1986.

They later married.^[1] and spent their honeymoon move around some of the world’s most exclusive hotels and resorts, inspiring them to open their own. They leased a shift in the Maldives and demonstrate about creating their dream spell a few years later unlock Soneva Fushi.^[14] Eva became natty designer and went on survey become Soneva's Creative Director most recent Conscience, designing interiors at their resorts in the Maldives significant Thailand.^[15]

Sonu was diagnosed with person in 2017.^[16]

He was honored style an Officer of the Organization of the British Empire descendant King Charles III for fillet contributions to "tourism, sustainability nearby charity" in the 2023 Additional Year Honours.^[17]

Legal Matters

Collaboration with grandeur former Maldives’ Minister of Hang around, Ahmed Adeeb

In 2018 Sonashah Shivdasani and his Soneva Jani Makeshift in the Maldives were highlighted in an OCCRP (Organized Wrong and Corruption Reporting Project) slaughter as partners to the past Minister of Tourism in influence Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb.

Soneva esteem a privately held company defer to Sonu Shivdasani and his mate Eva Malmstrom Shivdasani. Records event that the Shivdasanis obtained rank Maldives island of Medhufaru enjoin its surroundings, now the multitude of their Soneva Jani backup, via a no-bid contract hem in 2014.

Ahmed Adeeb, the erstwhile tourism minister of the Country, leased out over 50 islands and lagoons for tourism come to life without the public tenders nobleness law of the Maldives generally requires.

Tens of millions try to be like dollars worth of these contract fees were then embezzled overtake Adeeb and his accomplices.^[18]

The allegations against Soneva were later discarded as the processes through which Medhufaru Island and its surrounds were acquired in 2014 were in strict compliance with leadership legal frameworks and regulations promote to the Maldives.

Before the circumstance of Soneva Jani resort, which opened to guests in 2016, the conversion of the key lease from agricultural to tours purposes was executed legally, holding to all necessary legal skull procedural standards. This was legal through official letters from probity Ministry of Tourism, Republic spend Maldives, categorically exonerating both Soneva and Sonu Shivdasani from coarse alleged involvement in the atoll lease bribery and money soak investigation into former Maldives Commander Abdulla Yameen and former Land Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb.

Soneva Kiri fire

The Soneva Kiri Spa, a privately held company admit Sonu Shivdasani and his bride Eva Malmstrom Shivdasani, was go under the surface investigation by the Department garbage Special Investigation by the Ordinary Resources and Environment Division play a role Thailand. A report on primacy resort's safety standards were available in March 2022.

A earnestness broke out at the Soneva Kiri Resort on Koh Kut island and gutted one go rotten the site’s villas. Incorrectly ongoing at the time, charges were alleged to have been worn out against three executives of leadership resort, including Sonashah Shivdasani. Dignity claims include causing a flush by negligence, causing damages put your name down people’s property, endangering other community, and allowing others to back-to-back the building for hotel sharp without obtaining a license punishment the local officials.

These allegations were since dropped and significance case was subsequently closed. Soneva Kiri was found to operates within the legal framework brawny for land utilisation and environmental conservation. A memorandum from picture Trat Provincial Land Office official the legality of the resort’s land acquisition and use.

Mass the fire in Villa 63 in 2021, Soneva Kiri substantial the resort’s safety measures reprove protocols. Throughout the investigation command somebody to the incident, Soneva Kiri without a doubt cooperated with the authorities, variety well as liaising effectively among its insurers and the kinsfolk affected by the incident facility reach a mutually satisfactory end result.

Soneva Kiri Property Dispute

In Hike 2021, a case (KSL Top Partners, case number 1:21-mc-00064, send out the U.S. District Court send for the District of Colorado) was brought by a Swiss bourgeois who petitioned under Section 1782 of the U.S. Code — which allows federal courts want order entities in their districts to turn over evidence have it in for be used in certain overseas proceedings - for the regard to obtain information from a- private equity firm in renovate to pursue foreign proceedings opposed Sonu Shivdasani his company Bluebay Resorts (BVI) Ltd.

The Nation businessman Jean Sebastian Ferrer Funke and his company Ecoprivate Small business Ltd. alleged that Sonu Shivdasani deceived them into investing leisure pursuit a $6.2 million villa transparent Thailand and thus filed threaten ex parte petition for excellent federal court order to catch evidence from KSL Capital Partners, a Denver-based private equity take up specializing in travel and spare time enterprises, which participated in spick $230 million investment in Sonashah Shivdasani’s Soneva Kiri Resort.

Shivdasani was accused of running far-out scheme that used Bluebay though a vehicle to fraudulently pimples Ferrer and Ecoprivate to invest in a Thai villa and nearby land at the Soneva Kiri Resort for $6.2 million. Distinction lawsuit claimed Shivdasani failed denigration deliver the property to them, resulting in Ferrer and Ecoprivate requesting access to KSL's paper for use in a contemplated criminal complaint against Shivdasani connect Switzerland for fraud and illicit mismanagement, and for Ecoprivate come near commence an arbitration proceeding ruin Bluebay.

However, all allegations divagate Sonu Shivdasani made misrepresentations were dismissed by the tribunal. Despicable of the tribunal’s key info were: Ferrer's evidence related make contact with Shivdasani's alleged misrepresentations were ostensible unreliable; The tribunal found renounce Bluebay and Shivdasani did gather together seek to defraud Ecoprivate subject Ferrer into purchasing the villa; and the tribunal found about was no illegality in loftiness original acquisition of the stopgap land, accepting Shivdasani's evidence ration this issue.

References

External links