Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala discusses the triple bottom line attitude plus the story behind scaling a family business

Sudesh is a New Zealander who was living "sustainability, accessibility and culture" as a way of doing business way before it was fashionable. A Be Accessible Fab 50 member and recipient of numerous awards, he has set his sights on scaling the business with family origins. Here he discusses his journey.

Born in the former Burma to Indian parents. He spent his childhood in Kathmandu and Hong Kong where his business career began. His grandfather, who started life as an accountancy clerk in Burma, began the family dynasty when he started his own company three years after that initial job. Two generations on our guest runs the New Zealand arm of the enterprise - a significant part of the family business - with the next generation in the wings preparing to carry it on. And the business runs with sustainability and longevity to the fore.

Sudesh completed a degree in business administration in Southern California and came to New Zealand for the first time on honeymoon with his wife. They both loved the country and vowed to make it their home in both residency and business.

Today he can be described as a business owner, a property investor, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and a practicing environmental advocate. One of the few hotel owners and developers based in New Zealand he is a sought after speaker in tourism and won the prestigious Environmental Tourism Award in 2017. Under his direction Sudima Hotels now includes three hotels with another three under development from Auckland in the north to Christchurch in the south. The group currently has other hotels under development including a new development in Kaikoura. All the group’s hotels have been rated bronze to gold for accessibility as you would expect from a Be Accessible business leader.

With a community focused ethos and an emphasis on sustainability with the country’s only carboNZero hotels, this is an industry leader who is a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion, and who provides free breakfasts for school children.