Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi is located near the Westlands area of Nairobi City County. The Hotel is owned by Adil Popat, a prominent businessman and the son of the late Abdul Karim Popat.
Adil inherited part of his father’s estate, estimated at Ksh 2.5 billion, which included the Simba Corporation.
Karim established the Simba Corporation in 1948 as a used-car dealership called Deluxe Motors.
The Corporation expanded into larger businesses, focusing on various interests such as automotive sales, real estate, finance, and hospitality.
Karim led the Corporation into the hotel sector, building two Kempinski-branded properties, Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi and Olare Mara Kempinski Camp in the Maasai Mara.
Olare Mara Kempinski is a 5-star luxury tented camp situated along the Ntiakitiak River in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, which borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Adil took over the business after his father died in 2013.
He has maintained the Kempinski brand and assumed a leadership role at the Simba Corporation.
Adil Popat Career
Adil has served as the Chairman of the Simba Corporation Limited since January 2017.
He has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Simba Corporation since 1994.
Adil served as the Managing Director (MD) of Simba Group of Companies between December 2006 and January 2017.
He worked as the CEO of Hotel Lisboa from July 1987 to 1994.
Adil started his career as a Consultant at Deloitte in September 1984.
Also Read: How 4 Businessmen Turned Former U.S Embassy into Ole Sereni Hotel
Achievements
Adil has helped establish the Simba Foundation, whose focus areas address urgent community needs under three pillars: Education, Health, and Disaster Management in regions where Simba Corporation is present.
Simba is a member of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers Association (KVMA), and the Kenya Motor Industry Association (KMI).
In 2016, Simba signed the United Nations Global Compact Network-Kenya’s Code of Ethics for Business.
Also Read: Who Owns Serena Hotels, Safari Lodges & Resorts
Education
He graduated with a Master of Business Administration at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, United States (US) with a specialization in Finance in 1984.
Adil holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington, Seattle, US.
Other Positions
Adil served as a board member for the Wharton EMEA Board for 9 years and continues to advise the school on African affairs.
He served as Chairman for YPO – Gold for two years.
He also served as Chairman of KMI from 2012 to 2015.
He is currently the Chairman of KVMA and Principal of the Simba Foundation.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
