If there's one thing David Yeo has learned on his journey from finance lawyer and investment banker to Indian Ocean tsunami survivor, and now owner of a growing global restaurant empire, it's "carpe diem".
"We are never, ever going to be this young again, so I try to make each day count," he says. "For me that means trying to give back at least as much as I am fortunate enough to receive; letting family and friends who are close to you know what they mean to you, and not leaving till tomorrow what could be done today."
Yeo, a self-professed foodie who grew up Singapore and Britain, earned his law degree in Canterbury, England, before moving to Hong Kong in 1991. After several years in finance, he opened Aqua restaurant in 2000. Thirteen years later, the Aqua Restaurant Group has 10 bars and eateries in Hong Kong, two in Beijing and three in London, including two newly opened in The Shard skyscraper.
"Our growth is not driven by a need to expand," Yeo says. "We open restaurants whenever we feel that we can make a difference with our style of cuisine and service in any given location. It is not about rolling out restaurant after restaurant, year in, year out."
What little free time he has, Yeo enjoys spending on the slopes. "I relearned skiing four years ago, much to the dismay of the many skiers who may have had the misfortune of sharing a piste with me," he jokes. "It's simply amazing to be up there in the mountains contemplating the sheer majesty of Mother Nature, at least until I lose my balance and tumble down the slopes - which I think is Mother Nature's way of telling me that I am probably better suited to developing new dishes with our chefs."
