Sunny Varkey is an Indian education entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Dubai. He is the founder and executive chairman of the global advisory and educational management firm GEMS Education, which is the largest operator of private kindergarten-to-grade-12 schools in the world, with a network of over 80 schools in over a dozen countries.
He is also the chairman of the umbrella business organization the Varkey Group, and the founder and trustee of the philanthropic Varkey Foundation. In June 2015, Varkey committed to The Giving Pledge, vowing to donate at least half of his money to philanthropic causes over his lifetime. He is the first education entrepreneur to join the pledge.
Varkey was born in Ranni, Kerala, India in 1957. His parents were Kerala Syrian Christians and educators. The family moved to Dubai in 1959. At the age of four, Sunny was sent back to Kerala to attend Infant Jesus Anglo-Indian Boys' School, in Kollam city. He and his elder sister returned to Dubai in 1970, He pursued his A-Levels at Bembridge School in the UK for a year and completed his A-Levels in Dubai at the British Council.
Varkey's parents founded Our Own English High School in Dubai in 1968. When in 1980 local authorities insisted that his parents' Our Own English High School be housed in a purpose-built facility, Varkey took over the operation of the school. Varkey opened Indian, Pakistani, and British schools, and offered education under the different curricula: Indian (CBSE and ICSE), U.S., British, and later International Baccalaureate. In 2000 Varkey established Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), an advisory and educational management firm, in advance of his worldwide overseas expansion. In 2003, he began opening GEMS schools in England and elsewhere. In 2010, Varkey consolidated and structured his various donations and charitable initiatives by creating the Varkey Foundation as the philanthropic arm of GEMS. The foundation intended 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 centers. Bill Clinton launched the foundation. In 2011, the foundation partnered with UNESCO for girls' education in Lesotho and Kenya. In the same year, a further $1 million was pledged by UNESCO to train 10,000 school principals in India, Ghana, and Kenya. 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.
Varkey's other businesses include healthcare and, previously, construction. He has been conferred with numerous awards. In 2007 he received the Global Indian Business Award. He was also awarded the CEO Middle East Award – Corporate Social Responsibility in 2007, Outstanding Asian Businessman of the Year (2007), Rajiv Gandhi Award for Eminent Educationist (2008), Padma Shri Award (2009) and many others. * (Collected from the public domain) UPDATED ON 28/09/2024
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