Sonu Shivdasani was born to Lakshmi and Indoo Shivdasani in the UK and lived all his formative years there studying at world-renowned Eton, Le Resoy and Cambridge. Although the personal tragedy of losing his father at the tender age of 13 left an indelible mark, Sonu comes from a close-knit family with strong traditions and bonds. His elder brother Azad took over the family business which Sonu joined after graduating from Cambridge.

Sonu met Eva Malmstrom, a Swedish model, through his sister, the late Countess Bina Sella di Monteluce, at the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. Soon after they married and travelled the world experiencing the best of destinations and hospitality. This shared love for travel and hospitality sparked the fire in Sonu and Eva, giving us Six Senses and Soneva. Although they found tremendous success with Six Senses, Sonu and Eva decided to concentrate on Soneva with "One Owner, One Operator, One Philosophy, One Brand" as the cornerstone of their philosophy and strategy.

Sonu comes from a rich legacy of social responsibility and community outreach. His father founded the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation in 1976, which funds education for students in India. His elder sister, Bina Shivdasani, Countess Sella di Monteluce, worked in the field of women's education and was the first Asian High Sheriff of Greater London in 2002. This meant a natural flair for community involvement, development and empowerment was entrenched in Sonu. Eva too shared these ideals and their labour of love Soneva has institutionalized this in every aspect of its existence and operations.

Sonu Shivdasani has experienced his share of lows and more. Being an empathetic human, he feels intensely for others and the planet. He has had to overcome many personal battles to such as losing his father at a young age and more recently fighting Stage 4 Lymphoma. Yet, Sonu is an eternal optimist, tempered with caution nonetheless.

Sonu Shivdasani draws interesting and important parallels between the global phenomenon of the pandemic and his own personal battle with Lymphoma. Many of us in the throes of the current crisis are adjusting to new ways of experiencing the grief cycle which one goes through upon learning of a personal tragedy close to home. There is a hollow emptiness, an uncomfortable feeling. Our daily routines are compromised. In a way, we are grieving the loss of the way we used to live in the past.

“This pandemic will end but the important question is whether the bond we have with the way we live and our daily reality has been sufficiently broken and whether we can attach ourselves to a new reality and a new way of doing things; or if we will just go back to our old ways...” asks Sonu Shivdasani, wise words from the sage of luxury hospitality.