Sunny Varkey is an Indian-born Dubai-based entrepreneur, philanthropist and educationist who is the founder of Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), the world’s largest operator of private kindergarten to grade-12 schools.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Sunny Varkey was born in 1957 (age 67 years; as of 2023) in Ranni, Kerala, India. When Sunny was two years old his parents moved to Dubai. In 1981, Sunny was sent to India, where he attended Infant Jesus Anglo-Indian Boys School in Kollam, Kerala. After this he took admission in JMJ Catholic Boarding School, Mumbai. He later moved back to Dubai, where he attended St. Mary’s Catholic High School and passed his O Levels, after which he joined Bembridge School in the United Kingdom, where he studied A Levels for a year . In an interview, Sunny said that since there was no school in Dubai at that time for A-level education, many students from UAE used to go to UK. Talking about this he said,
After passing my O Levels, my parents decided to send me to the UK to complete A Levels at Bembridge College on the Isle of Wight. Many students from the UAE used to go there to complete their studies, as there was no higher education available in Dubai at that time.
Later, he came back to Dubai and completed A-levels at the British Council.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 10″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: dark brown
A photograph of Sunny Varkey with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay
Family
Sunny Varkey was born in a Syrian Christian family in Kerala.
parents and siblings
His father KS Varkey (deceased) was a banker and educationist. His mother Mariamma Varkey (deceased) was an educationist. His sister, Suzanne Mathews, is an educationist.
A picture of Sunny Varkey’s parents
wife and children
Sunny Varkey is married to Shirley Varkey, who works at GEMS Education.
Sunny Varkey with his wife Shirley Varkey
His son, Jay Varkey, is group executive director at GEMS Education. His other son, Dino Varchi, is the CEO of GEMS Education.
Jai Varkey with his father Sunny Varkey
A picture of Sunny Varkey with his son Dino Varkey
Religion
Sunny Varkey follows Christianity.
signature/autograph
Sunny Varkey’s signature
livelihood
banker
After completing his formal education, Sunny joined the Al Shamal branch of Standard Chartered Bank in Dubai. In an interview, Sunny said that he decided to become a banker rather than help his parents run Our Own English High School, established in Dubai in 1968, because he believed that their methods of running a school This may lead to conflicts with their parents. After working for a few years in the bank, he tendered his resignation as the pay scale of the bank was low and not enough for Sunny to save money and set up his own business. While giving an interview, Sunny said,
I was preparing some accounts and coincidentally I saw that my manager, who had worked at the bank for 22 years, earned a salary of Dh6,000 per month. I was shocked, and I estimated that maybe even after ten years of salary increases, I would never be able to earn even Dh10,000 per month. I decided to quit my job immediately and start my own business.
entrepreneur
After leaving his job as a banker, Sunny Varkey started a maintenance company named Chicago Maintenance Company in 1978. Sunny said that he decided to give the company a Western name to attract business from Western companies. In 1979 he founded a trading company named JMJ Trading. In 1980, he, along with a partner, opened a hotel named The Dubai Plaza, which was later renamed the Ridges Plaza Dubai. The same year, Varkey took control of Our Own English High School from his parents after Dubai Municipality wrote a letter to his parents asking them to create a proper infrastructure to continue teaching. Got it. Subsequently, Sunny appointed Qasim Sultan, the then director of Dubai Municipality, as the patron of the school and purchased a piece of land to build some portakabins, in which classes resumed.
A photo of our own English high school, taken in the 1980s
In 2000, Sunny founded GEMS Education Group and established several schools under its head in the UAE. In 2003, SUNY acquired Sherfield School in Hampshire, United Kingdom. Subsequently, he purchased ten more schools in northern England. In 2004, GEMS Education Group established several schools in India as well as Pakistan. In June 2010 GEMS Education became part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Development Companies. GEMS became a strategic partner of the Clinton Global Initiative that same year. In 2011, he founded a school in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2012, he founded two schools in Chicago. The schools functioning under GEMS Education provide education in International Baccalaureate (IB), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE).
Philanthropist
Sunny Varkey founded the Varkey James Foundation (now known as Varkey Foundation) in 2010 with the intention of providing free education to the poor and needy. The Foundation provides education for one child to a hundred poor children who enroll in a school run by GEMS. In collaboration with UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the United Arab Emirates, Varkey Foundation launched an annual Global Education and Skills Forum in 2013. Subsequently, the Foundation launched a program called MGCubed – Making Ghana Girls Great to provide quality education to underprivileged girl children. Varkey Foundation has worked closely with several international NGOs including UNICEF, Clinton Global Initiative, Oxfam, Pratham, Dubai Cares and the Brookings Institution.
Awards and Honors
- Global Indian Business Award (2007)
- CEO Middle East Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category (2007)
- Outstanding Asian Businessman of the Year (2007)
- Rajiv Gandhi Award for Eminent Educationist (2008)
- India’s fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri (2009)
- Public Recognition Award from the Government of Russia (2011)
- Distinction Award by the Government of UAE (2011)
- Middle East Excellence CEO of the Year in the Knowledge Development and Education Partnership category (2012)
- Education Business Leader of the Year Award by Gulf Business Industry (2012)
- Honorary Doctorate by Heriot-Watt University (2012)
A photograph of Sunny Varkey receiving an honorary degree
- Arabian Business Achievement Award (2017)
Sunny Varkey holding the Arabian Business Achievement Award
- Entrepreneur of the Year by The Asian Awards (2018)
net worth
As of March 28, 2023, his net worth was estimated at $3 billion.
A screenshot of Sunny Varkey’s net worth
Facts/General Knowledge
- In 2012, he was appointed as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
Sunny Varkey holds the certificate she received after becoming a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
- In the same year, Sunny Varkey was featured on the cover of Global Citizen Magazine.
Cover page of Global Citizen magazine
- In 2018, Sunny donated $1.4 million to the Kerala Relief Fund.
- Sunny Varkey’s favorite quote is “I don’t believe in giving up even when you hit a hard wall.”
- When Sunny Varkey was studying in Kerala, he used to sell fruits. While giving an interview he said,
I started selling fruits on the streets in Kerala to earn more money. I always dreamed of becoming a businessman, it was my dream since childhood.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn