Sunny Varkey

Founder of GEMS Education and Varkey Foundation

Net worth: 2.1 billion USD 2017

Mr. Sunny Varkey serves as the Chairman of Varkey Group Limited. Mr. Varkey is the Founder of GEMS Education and served as its Executive Chairman. Mr. Varkey serves as a Member of the Healthcare and Education Advisory Board of Gulf Capital.An out-of-the-box thinker, Mr. Varkey has brought a new dimension to private education. As an educational entrepreneur, he has developed an enterprising blend of business, customer service and innovation combined with high educational standards to form GEMS, an educational brand that has made global headway since its launch. Mr. Varkey also has extensive interests in the healthcare sector including a private hospital and Welcare World, a firm specialised in health care management and consultancy. His ongoing commitment to education and healthcare has had tremendous impact in improving the lives of thousands of individuals. He has received numerous accolades and formal recognition for his contributions to education, healthcare and humanitarian pursuits.

Varkey Foundation

Varkey developed a habit of philanthropy from the example of his father and from his own strong spiritual values. In December 2010, he consolidated and structured his various donations and charitable initiatives by creating the Varkey Foundation (initially the Varkey GEMS Foundation) as the philanthropic arm of GEMS. The foundation intends to impact 100 impoverished children for every child enrolled at GEMS schools, via enrolment and education-access initiatives, worldwide teacher training programs, advocacy campaigns, and physical projects such as building classrooms, schools, and learning centres. Bill Clinton launched the foundation.

Argentine president Mauricio Macrimet with Varkey (third from left) at the World Economic Forum in 2016.

In March 2011, the foundation partnered with UNESCO for girls' education in Lesotho and Kenya, and donated $1,000,000 to the effort.In September 2011, a further $1 million was pledged with UNESCO to train 10,000 school principals in India, Ghana, and Kenya. In 2014, the foundation's Teacher Training Programme committed to train 250,000 teachers within 10 years in under-served communities across the world.

In 2013, the Varkey Foundation helped launch the annual Global Education and Skills Forum, in partnership with UNESCO and the U.A.E. Ministry of Education. Bill Clinton gave the inaugural keynote address. Varkey hopes the annual forum will become the "Davos of education". At the second annual forum in March 2014, Varkey announced the Global Teacher Prize, a $1 million award to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, to be presented at the third annual GESF in 2015.

Varkey Group

Varkey Group is the umbrella organisation covering GEMS Education and Varkey's other businesses, including healthcare and, previously, construction. Varkey founded the company in 1979, and it is based in Dubai, with additional offices in the UK, U.S., and India.

In 1984 Varkey founded Welcare, a healthcare consultancy and management venture which developed a number of hospitals and clinics. A controlling interest in Emirates Healthcare, the Varkey Group's umbrella company which held Welcare, was purchased by Mediclinic International in 2012. The sale of his healthcare sector allowed Varkey to focus on education and educational philanthropy.

Honors

· Global Indian Business Award (2007)

· CEO Middle East Award – Corporate Social Responsibility (2007)

· Outstanding Asian Businessman of the Year (2007)

· Rajiv Gandhi Award for Eminent Educationist (2008)

· Padma Shri Award (2009)

· Honorary Order – Public Recognition award from the Government of Russia (2011)

· Middle East Excellence CEO of the Year – Knowledge Development and Education Partnership (2012)

· UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador (2012)

· Education Business Leader of the Year, Gulf Business Industry Awards (2012)

· Honorary Doctorate, Heriot-Watt University (2012)