The Irish communications expert talks about finding fulfillment and aligning personal values to her career at Soneva.
Making a career switch can be daunting, but if you don’t push yourself, you’ll never learn to adapt and equip yourself with new knowledge and skills. That’s why when I met Ciara O’Shea, Global Director of Marketing & Communications at Soneva early April, I was intrigued about her life story, and the work she’s been doing at Soneva.
For some of us who aren’t sure what Soneva is about, pull your chair closer. Soneva is a world-leading sustainable luxury resort operator, known for its barefoot philosophy and commitment to environmental stewardship, offering exceptional experiences in the Maldives and Thailand. It was founded in 1995 by Sonu Shivdasani, a British hotelier born to Indian parents and educated in England, who, along with his Swedish wife Eva, envisioned a different kind of luxury focused on natural beauty and responsible living after falling in love with the Maldives. The pair were also the founders of Sixth Senses Resorts & Spa before they sold it off in 2012.
I sat down with Ciara at Mandala Club and amidst our candid conversation, we got to talking on a personal level about finding fulfillment and aligning values.
I’m intrigued by your career path. You studied Law but ended up pursuing PR in Dubai. Tell us how you get your start.
I was studying in Ireland, and I was working in a solicitor’s office. My friend actually moved to the UAE as a teacher and she convinced me to join her. I thought it was going to be nine months and that I would move back to Ireland and become a lawyer. But 16 years later, I never went back, I just fell in love with the market. Dubai, was very different then, it wasn’t the Dubai that exists today but there was such a great energy and I loved the people, it quickly felt like home.
I knew I wasn’t going to be a teacher, I knew that wasn’t my forever profession. A few people had recommended — because I’m very talkative — to look into communications. I love learning about different people and cultures, and I’ve always been the person who would recommend things to people. I was introduced to an agency, and I literally started from the bottom. I started as an intern, and went to another agency as an executive, and after that, I was hired by another agency as a senior executive. I actually worked all the way up from senior executive to the Director of Brand Communications where I oversaw all of the fashion, jewellery, watches and beauty brands.
I had a team of 22 people and we had 35 retainer clients in my department, incredible brands like Valentino, Net-A-Porter, Vacheron Costantin amongst others, as well as numerous projects and events on the side. I really loved it. Hospitality didn’t even enter the agenda for me. I was never interested in working in hospitality. But then COVID happened. COVID was a big switch for everyone. Obviously, as an agency, we suffered, some of the clients stopped working with us for a little while, and my goal was to get the company back in the black. Once I achieved that, which was by end of October, I handed in my notice. My boss at the time predicted it was coming, we knew each other so well and have always had a great relationship. She even started calling other business owners and partners telling them to hire me. That type of support is really priceless.
I did some consultancy work for a year, which I loved. Soneva then approached me on LinkedIn. I kept receiving notifications that I would be in the top 10% of applicants for the role. I knew a little about the brand but after doing some research and speaking to the HR team, I really became inspired by what Soneva was doing. I had long been interested in sustainability and wellness and witnessing Soneva’s impact in those areas was mind blowing, Soneva is truly a pioneer in sustainability and is doing some incredible things in the wellness space merging ancient traditions and techniques with incredibly modern modalities. I also realized how much Soneva invests in its people. Whether that’s training and development or supporting personal wellness activities, Soneva puts people first, which really encouraged me to join.
You mentioned sustainability and wellness, and that that’s something that you believe in. So, like, specifically, how does that align with your own personal values?
I was never into fast fashion. Obviously, when you are younger you rarely have the budget to buy luxury products, but I reached a point working in the industry where I did have the privilege of having that. Having access to some incredible clothes and some incredible brands that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. And then I realised that I’d rather buy less and make it last. I think it’s the height of elegance to be able to have the same jacket or the same dress and wear it in five different ways. I think that is so much more stylish than somebody who has to buy the latest thing.
The acceleration of fast fashion brands started to become quite scary; Shein, Boohoo etc. Honestly, it made me uncomfortable. It’s just not something that I believe in. I also have two small children, so I’m thinking about the world that they’re going to live in, and we’re just producing at a scale that the earth can’t keep up with. So even though my background is in luxury brands, I still felt a little bit responsible, because I’m telling you to, ‘buy this lipstick, buy this dress’ Even though we work in marketing, the end goal of marketing is sales. So I felt responsible for pushing products constantly when I truly believe in less is more. Thankfully, people have really started spending their money on trips, spending time with family and creating memories. One of the positives of COVID is that it gave us all a bit of a perspective on what really matters.
As the Global Director of Marketing Communications at Soneva, tell us what your day to day entails?
Literally, I could be anywhere – today I am with you here in Singapore but I travel quite a bit. Being based in Dubai and working remotely is quite beneficial for my global role, allowing me to connect with Australia and America in a single day. I could just as easily be in the Maldives, which I visit often for in-market events. Meeting people face-to-face to share our heartfelt brand story is far more impactful to us than sending a press release. So, whether it’s Singapore, London, the Maldives, Dubai, or even hiding from my kids upstairs after school, I could be anywhere. Last week it was the Maldives, Friday Dubai – now, Singapore. As a global team we spend a lot of time managing our messaging, creating content, arranging press events and managing the digital marketing and social strategy.ld be anywhere. Last week it was the Maldives, Friday Dubai, yesterday Malta – now, Singapore.
We’re seeing different brand experiential activations happening around the world. Is that something Soneva would participate in? Does it even make sense for a brand like Soneva?
Having done many partnerships in my career, connecting luxury fashion or watch brands with Soneva felt natural. However, finding truly aligned brands is difficult due to our deep commitment to core beliefs – we ditched plastic straws in ’98 and recycle everything. So, we prioritise quality over quantity in partnerships and in-market events, preferring genuine connections with those who “get” us. Similarly, with influencers, it’s about embodying our values, not follower counts; we say no to 95 per cent of requests. Our high guest retention (50-60 per cent) shows the loyalty of those who understand us, and it wouldn’t be fair to them to prioritise mismatched influencers. Our guests are our true advocates.
I even read like one of the sustainable practices you have, is having guests volunteering to do clean-ups with the staff. It really goes to show that a piece of the island is also part of you.
Right? So we have a concept which is really unique — it’s called slow life. It’s sustainable, local, organic and wellness — they’re the core elements. But then life is learning, inspiring, fun experiences. So we try to think that, all of these things can live together. You can be fun and educational. You can be healthy and delicious — these kind of supposed juxtapositions can happen together, so you can have a luxury holiday. But also, to help with the beach clean-up or go behind the scenes and see the Eco center and see how we do our sustainable practices. People want to learn an experience, and experience is more than just a cocktail and reading a book by the villa, right? Like it’s something unique.
You can visit our glass studio, witness the process, and even create your own piece with our team’s guidance, taking home a unique souvenir. There’s always something engaging to experience.
For someone who’s not heard of the Soneva brand, what can you tell them? And which property would you recommend them?
Choosing is like picking a favorite child, but Soneva Fushi, the original, holds a special magic – a soul you feel on arrival. For newcomers, it best embodies our core values. Soneva Jani excels for wellness and has the most incredible kids club, the den which my kids adore! Soneva Secret is the ultimate luxury, completely bespoke. There really is a Soneva for everyone.
What would your advice be for someone who wants to go into hospitality like yourself?
Oh gosh, I’m the worst to ask about traditional paths – many colleagues studied and trained at incredible hospitality schools and are exceptional. For me, it’s about passion: don’t do marketing/comms for brands you don’t connect with authentically. I can talk about Soneva anywhere because I believe in it. So, less about hospitality specifically, and more about pursuing what genuinely interests you and making it happen, because hospitality is tough with crazy hours and travel. It only works if you truly believe in what you’re doing; then it’s not just a job, and you’ll always find the energy. I genuinely believe that.
When she’s not working, where can we find Ciara?
Oh my gosh, mom of two (three and five!), so it’s pickups, drop-offs, working from my relaxed Dubai suburban home, lots of garden barbecues and beach time.
