Stelios Haji-Ioannou

Stelios Haji-Ioannou

The son of a Greek shipping tycoon has been making waves all of his own with his “easy” branded businesses. Now he’s in Dubai, with the region’s first easyHotel.

May 26, 2010 4:13 by shafeer

Introduction

“I am a great believer that to make a difference in people’s lives you are probably going to have to ruffle some feathers. One of our brand models is to take on the big boys.”

- Stelios Haji-Ioannou

The New York Times named him Entrepreneur of the Year, 2006. Stelios Haji-Ioannou, son of a Greek shipping tycoon, has made a name for himself through his wildly successful private investment venture, easyGroup. Licensing the “easy” brand name to ventures like easyCruise and easyHotel, he has garnered enormous success in diverse sectors, rivaling the biggest names in different industries by offering cheaper, more efficient alternatives. His “easy-branded businesses” are undercutting the biggest players in lucrative industries and reaping stellar successes along the way.

Not known for mincing words, Haji-Ioannou told the New York Times that his inspiration for a successful competitor cruise line came from the realization that “Carnival’s ships have tacky ballrooms and are full of old folks, which made Micky Arison (Carnival’s chief exec) pretty angry,” he remarked. From cruise lines to hotels, air travel, and cafes, the Greek Cypriot has his finger on the pulse of dozens of successful ventures. And his influential business style is characterized by an equally influential network. Click ‘next’ to see Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s network.