Speaker Biographies
THRIVE
Three days of market insight, investment discussion, founder-led exchange and hospitality experiences across Dubai.
Aku Patel
Founder and Director, Paperchase
Aku Patel’s interest in how restaurants work began in his parents’ restaurant in Kenya, where he helped run the business with his brothers as a child. That curiosity has stayed with him for more than 30 years.
After starting his career at Deloitte, Aku followed his passion for hospitality and founded Paperchase with his brothers in the late 1980s. Today it is the UK’s leading hospitality accountancy, supporting brands across the UK, USA, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Aku has worked with restaurants like Zuma, The Fat Duck, The Ledbury and COYA since their earliest days.
He regularly shares his expertise to help restaurateurs succeed, and remains committed to helping hospitality businesses grow and adapt in a fast-moving, competitive industry and is excited to share this knowledge at GRIF.