SESH THAKKAR

SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR, TAVISTOCK GROUP, ORLANDO

Tavistock is a global, diversified private investment organization that employs some 2,500 Floridians. The company owns the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in the United Kingdom. Tavistock developments include Lake Nona and Sunbridge in Central Florida and Pier Sixty-Six Marina and Resort in Fort Lauderdale. “Through Tavistock, we have helped shape Orlando’s identity as a center of innovation and well-being,” Thakkar says. “Lake Nona alone has become a living lab for what’s possible when you integrate education, technology, the arts and health into daily life. We’ve created thousands of high-paying jobs and 14 A-rated schools, deployed autonomous vehicles, launched incubators, and pioneered a smart city model that has inspired leaders nationally and internationally.”

EDUCATION: University of Central Florida (BS)

FIRST JOB: Paperboy! At age 13, after just immigrating from Kenya, I had a monopoly for newspaper routes in my Chicago suburb. Snow or shine, I was up at 4 a.m. delivering papers. After college, my first job was as an IRS agent, which gave me great insights in business and both public and private life.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: I have immense patriotic gratitude. I was born and raised in Kenya, am of Indian origin and have lived in Argentina, England and the U.S. This international experience shapes how deeply I appreciate the United States as a land of extraordinary opportunity and values. Having seen so many systems of government and economic models, I’m reminded daily how exceptional this country is in its ability to empower individuals who are willing to work and dream.

INDUSTRY TREND: AI is transforming every sector, but the true trend is how we integrate it with human experience. Knowledge is no longer scarce, wisdom is. Places like Lake Nona are being built to combat digital isolation and foster human connection. As AI grows more capable, communities that inspire creativity, compassion and in-person collaboration will lead. AI can process data, but it cannot feel.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER
“Politics. Government is a necessity to preserve order, and good government can transform a region and people’s lives.”