Sunny Varkey: The Philanthropist behind the World’s Largest Private School Network

Sunny Varkey’s journey-from a small-town upbringing in Kerala, India, to becoming one of the most influential education entrepreneurs on the face of the earth-is simply remarkable. Founder and Executive Chairman of GEMS Education-the largest private K-12 school operator in the world-such is the influence of Varkey on education that it cuts across both continents and generations. His visionary leadership, coupled with a strong commitment to philanthropy, has rebirthed educational access to millions of students across the globe, proving that education indeed serves as a potent use of change.

Sunny Varkey was born in 1957 in Ranni, Kerala, India, to K.S. Varkey and Mariamma, both educators. The family moved to Dubai in 1959, which laid the bedrock for what would later become Varkey’s global education empire. His parents taught English to local Arabs, including some members of the royal family, and Varkey instinctively realized the value of education from a tender age. In fact, this early exposure to the education sector proved very important in his later years. Varkey spent his formative years at a Catholic boarding school in Kerala before returning to Dubai in 1970 to complete his schooling. His experience of selling fruits as a young boy to make supplementary money instilled in him the values of hard work and persistence that would be central to his success later in life.

In 1980, when the Dubai authorities insisted that Our Own English High School, his parents’ school, needed to relocate to a new facility, Sunny Varkey took over its management. Under his guidance, the school expanded from a mere 400 students into a sprawling global behemoth. Varkey expanded the reach of the school through opening new campuses and offering different curricula, such as Indian, British, and U.S. education systems. This was a strategic move in order to meet the increasingly growing needs of the expatriate population in Dubai that sought quality education for their children.

In the year 2000, Varkey founded Global Education Management Systems, renamed GEMS Education, and laid the bedrock to expand into a global enterprise. Today, GEMS has grown into the largest private K-12 school operator in the world, with around 80 schools spread across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It is recognized for its paramount aim: the delivery of quality, accessible education through a range of curricula that caters to different cultural and educational needs.

The success of Sunny Varkey within the education sector was always underpinned by a higher purpose-to ensure that communities around the world in underprivileged conditions gain access to education. In 2010, he founded the Varkey Foundation-the philanthropic arm of GEMS Education-with the dream of impacting 100 underprivileged children for every child enrolled at GEMS schools. This foundation undertakes programs like teacher training across the world to bridge the gap in the educational sphere in deprived countries, advocacy campaigns, building classrooms, among others.

In 2015, Varkey hit headlines when he joined The Giving Pledge-a commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals to give away the majority of their wealth during their lifetimes to charitable causes. He is the first education entrepreneur to join this prestigious group, and pledged to focus his philanthropic efforts on improving global education. His foundation also established the Global Teacher Prize, a $1 million annual award given to an exceptional teacher who has made significant contributions to the profession.

Varkey has received numerous acknowledgments of his work in improving standards of education internationally. In 2012, he was awarded the title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador-a position he still holds to date and continues to support quality education internationally. His initiatives with UNESCO have included undertaking various programs regarding educational needs, particularly among disadvantaged sectors of people in the Third World. Through the Global Education and Skills Forum, an annual event launched in 2013 in partnership with UNESCO, Varkey has provided a platform for education leaders, policymakers, and influencers to discuss and promote innovative solutions to the global education crisis.

Sunny Varkey’s contributions toward global education far outweigh what his business achievements show. An education entrepreneur, philanthropist, and changer, he has changed the lives of millions. By opening doors to more educational opportunities, continuing teacher support, and being able to use his wealth in a manner benefiting society as a whole, Varkey has set quite an example for successful business leadership using resources to effect change that is lasting and positive. His legacy will live on, inspiring future generations both of entrepreneurs and educators.