Dream Merchant

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

There’s one thing that I think is so different in Australia: it really doesn’t matter what position you are in, we are all equal. It’s not a country where a doctor is different to a plumber; they respect you for what you’ve achieved. Work hard and you will definitely strike it rich.”

In 1990, inspired by innumerable western flicks, a starry-eyed young man from an unassuming coastal town in Kerala, arrived on Australian shores in search of his El Dorado. Armed with nothing more than resourcefulness, the grit to succeed and a few personal belongings, he enrolled in a business studies course, hoping to eventually work up the corporate ladder. Every day was a struggle, as he had neither mentors nor financial backing. His lucky break came soon enough, when he landed a job as a humble waiter on a harbour cruise ship. Within seven years when the original owners divested, he took over as CEO of Sydney Showboats, the company that owned and operated the vessel.

With a commanding and well-diversified presence across the prestigious eastern seaboard of Australia, today that young man is a powerful stakeholder in the lucrative tourism and hospitality industry.

His remarkable story will no doubt strike a chord in every migrant household aspiring for a better future.

Meet Sudhir Warrier, owner of Australian Cruise Group (ACG). He calls himself a “pragmatic Indian with a positive Australian attitude”, assimilating two different cultures in perfect harmony. A risk taker and a sharp businessman, Warrier’s rise to success has been meteoric.

His harbourside portfolio is impressive and includes the flagship Sydney Showboats (pictured), authentic replicas of the colonial paddle wheeler, refurbished with modern interiors while retaining the romance of the bygone era; as well as Magistic Cruises , (pictured), contemporary custom built catamarans. Warrier has also launched online tourism marketing services called Sydney Things To Do and Sydney Bookings to extend his reach.

ACG’s luxury fleet has a proven track record in providing once-in-a-lifetime tourism experiences at value prices for domestic and international visitors.

Operating out of Sydney’s relatively new waterfront precinct – King St Wharf, the purpose-built vessels, equipped with state-of-art audio-visual and lighting systems, are licensed to host cruises for burgeoning top end corporate and international markets as well as the rapidly increasing inbound tourist sector. As spending power in developing economies India and China constantly increases, it has opened up dedicated niche markets.

With business spread across the eastern coastline, Warrier has recently forayed into the prized Great Barrier Reef market with the acquisition of the iconic Ocean Spirit Cruises, which has been in operation over 20 years. The popular cruise offers guided scuba diving, snorkelling as well as glass bottom boats for a complete marine tourism experience. The company holds the largest permit to operate to Michaelmas Cay on the Barrier Reef – the most important sea bird nesting sanctuary in the southern hemisphere.

This latest acquisition has allowed Warrier to leverage existing relationships and expand his portfolio.

“The secret of my success is believing in myself and driving through my convictions. To be in business, you need to be able to take risks and trust your judgment. Quite simply, you should go with your gut instinct,” Warrier told Indian Link

“Our success is based on the fact that we have been able to clearly define our customers for each of our experiences. We target them through either the established distribution channels or direct to consumer online strategies. Likewise, a key executive team of trusted and experienced individuals is equally critical for any sustainable venture,” he added.

Warrier describes his early upbringing as average and middle class.

“I lost my father at an early age; the responsibility of shouldering my family therefore fell on me,” he recalled. “In many ways, it was a huge learning experience. Most importantly, it gave me the resolve to be successful”.

“Perhaps I was rapidly able to expand my business because I had nothing to lose,” he went on. “So whenever an opportunity presented itself, I was happy to take the plunge, and it has turned out well in most instances”.

Warrier’s “first career changing event” was to get involved in the wholesale vegetable trade back in Kerala. Within a period of eighteen months he had turned the business into a very profitable venture.

“It allowed me to learn the ropes of business from the street wholesale business merchants in Cochin – at both the vegetable and fish markets,” reminisced Warrier. This grassroots exposure has, he believes, given him a firm grounding. “The Indian work ethic and values, which I imbibed in those early years, have always been a contributing factor in my business decisions,” he claimed.

“But I guess the individual who influenced me most was Brian Gray, the original owner of Sydney Showboats, who gave me many opportunities and trusted me to move up the ladder in rapid succession,” acknowledged Warrier.

Like Warrier, Brian was “an ideas man and an avid risk taker”.

“He gave me confidence throughout my career to take calculated risks, vital for a business to flourish,” he said.

Another mentor who shaped his destiny was iconic Sydney restaurateur and The Summit (first revolving rooftop restaurant) owner, Oliver Shaul.

“Shaul literally gave me the insight into how to run a business profitably with the customer in mind. Oliver’s wisdom is legendary amongst the Sydney hospitality circles,” Warrier stated.

Besides risk taking, Warrier’s biggest assets are his sociable personality and strong interpersonal skills. His daily routine includes staying in close touch with his employees.

“A businessman needs to be really connected with his people, while keeping an eye on his product,” said Warrier. “In fact having risen up the ranks, I still feel I am one of them. Unlike traditional set ups, we don’t have a HR department and in our company we don’t send memos,” he quipped.

“Instead, we just talk to each other when necessary and get on with what needs to be done. We have hardly any bureaucracy