KARACHI: Leading lifestyle and global publication People has declared Danial Schon as 2021’s ‘Man of the Year’ in Pakistan for his global entrepreneurship and contribution to Pakistan’s economy during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pakistani-American entrepreneur Danial H Schon is credited for his achievements in philanthropy and business during the year which showed qualities of resilience, in line with the Year 2021 where the world got out of the COVID pandemic with vaccinations and bounced back.
Dedicating a front cover to the entrepreneur, the People Pakistan has described Danial Schon as a “resilient, intelligent, sharp and compassionate man” who has saw ups and downs in business but continued to invest and grow.
The monthly magazine interviewed the entrepreneur over six pages, following him at iconic London locations to film him for the cover title and the pages.
Danial Schon, Overseas Pakistani entrepreneur, resides in Central London and divides his time between Pakistan, America, UK and Middle East where his businesses operate.
People Magazine said it has picked up Danial Schon for the prestigious “Man of The Year” title due to his business and civil contribution including getting involved in philanthropic work to help businesses and entrepreneurs grow, along with all other efforts linked to supporting education.
Danial Schon, 38, shared his life story with the magazine; what it takes to do business in the West, how to be successful in life, how to grow business and why he sees potential in the Pakistani economy.
After receiving the recognition, Danial Schon posted, “All Praise is for Allah. I am Humbled and honored to be given this title of Man of the Year by People Magazine in Pakistan. I Have tried to be sincere, honest, and worked hard all my life. Like any businessman, I’ve had successes and failures along the way but with pure intentions I have always tried to be resilient and extremely positive in life. As an entrepreneur, my intention is to try and improve society around me. Adding value, jobs, assisting in philanthropic activities where I can and working to create prosperity.”
He told the magazine that the fundamentals of success in business are “perseverance and extreme optimism”, powered by a positive outlook at life. He shared that he had started doing business when in school and has not looked back since then.
Danial Schon said: “I started two businesses in college and when I graduated, I started a real estate brokerage company. The company did extremely well, and it made over $25 Million on my first deal which kickstarted my career. The family business has been started by my father and uncle, and I try to support wherever I can”.
He said their key to success for Schon Group was working hard and being different and ahead of the competition. That hard work made them the largest exporter of Pakistan in textiles.
“From there, they grew into Airlines, Banking, Modaraba, Fiber Production, Fertilizers, and Property Development. In 1996, they expanded the operation internationally and in 2015, Schon Group restructured and now acts as a Private Family Office globally. The Group is a debt-free entity, which is a huge benefit in cyclical times like the COVID Pandemic which just came.”
Danial Schon said he has been doing his own independent business besides being a shareholder in the family office.
The businessman shared: “Since a young age, though I was born in a successful business family, I truly believe I need to work for my own money. That is something I want to teach my kids as well. Everyone should be self-sufficient and responsible for themselves.”
Schon said he was optimistic about the future of Pakistan and had full faith in the youth of Pakistan but challenges for the young people were growing.
He told the magazine: “I want the next Einstein to come from Pakistan, the next Bill Gates, the next Warren Buffet. I would love to see the youth of Pakistan at the next level, at par with youth of the nations who are modern and forward looking. I feel, the IQ of the Pakistani youth is way higher than others around the world. We just need to give our youth direction”.
“Gen Z and Generation Alpha kids are much smarter, more switched on, more liberal, and are an inclusive generation. With this generation, social enterprises are very important, health is very important, and connectivity is very important for this generation. Wi-fi is more important than drinking water and oxygen. These traits, move the world forward in a positive direction, fast.”
Sharing his experience of investing in the digital sector of Pakistan in 2018 and doing good, Danial Schon advised Pakistani youth to learn digital skills, coding, blockchain, NFT’s and metaverse.
“My aspiration is for our youth to be involved with digital businesses and jobs. Technology and our world as we know it is moving too fast. 20 Years from now, there will not be a shortage of traditional jobs available because artificial intelligence, robotics, and technology will replace most traditional jobs.”
Talking about the philanthropic work he does, Danial Schon said that he’s talking about it only to encourage others to come forward and create more models for sustainable causes in Pakistan which are longer-term focused.
