Bengaluru: Stanley Lifestyles Limited, an integrated super-premium and luxury furniture manufacturer and retailers, todayannounced the appointment of Mr. Abhijeet Sonar as the Chief Executive Officer of Stanley Retail Limited, a part of Stanley Lifestyles Limited. With a distinguished career spanning over 27 years across globally renowned luxury, hospitality, aviation, automotive and lifestyle brands, Abhijeet brings strategic depth, transformation expertise and a proven track record of building high-performing luxury businesses.
Abhijeet, who is recognised for his ability to blend creative intelligence with commercial discipline, has consistently driven growth, strengthened brand equity and delivered ecosystem value in some of the most demanding premium categories. His leadership approach, rooted in craftsmanship,authenticity and consumer insight, has shaped his reputation as a luxury brand architect and turnaround specialist capable of steering organisations through accelerated expansion and operational excellence.
Sharing his delight on the new role, Abhijeet Sonar, CEO, Stanley Retail Limited, said “Thrilled to announce that last month I took on the position of Chief Executive Officer at Stanley Retail Ltd. Stepping into this role is both an honour and a responsibility. It marks the beginning of amission to accelerate the growth of one of India’s most respected luxury brands and shape it into a world-class luxury house with global standards and ambition.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent meaningful time with our Founder & Chairman, Mr. Sunil Suresh, and Co- Founder, Mrs. Shubha Sunil. Their clarity, passion, and craftsmanship, built over 30 years, have reaffirmed my belief that Stanley is uniquely positioned to become a powerful Indian luxury icon in the decade ahead.
My leadership philosophy is simple: luxury is a craft, growth is a system, and equity is an outcome. At Stanley, this translates into three commitments.
The first is purpose. I am committed to elevating Stanley into a global luxury house born in India, rooted in craftsmanship, design excellence, and meaningful storytelling. This includes building the House of Stanley as a future-ready ecosystem for HNIs, architects, designers, and global tastemakers.
The second is people. I believe strong brands are built by strong, inspired teams. My focus will beon empowering our retail, design, manufacturing, and customer experience teams with clarity, ownership, and a culture of premium execution.
The third is performance. Our growth agenda will be guided by disciplined P&L ownership, strategic expansion, operational excellence, and a consistent focus on long-term shareholder value and governance.
With a holistic growth mindset & along with brand and business alignment, my approach ensures that every strategy, every initiative, and every decision delivers both creative excellence and measurable commercial impact. My experience across global luxury environments has taught me that leadership in this sector rests on understanding people, purpose, and long-term valuecreation. Every decision we take at Stanley will be shaped by this approach so that our craftsmanship, design vision, and customer experience consistently reflect world- class excellence.
This new chapter is not only about scaling a business; it is about building a luxury house that Indiacan be proud of. I am grateful to my mentors, colleagues, partners, and everyone who has been part of my journey so far.
Excited for the new beginnings with the Stanley team.”
Expressing confidence in the appointment, Sunil Suresh, Founder, Stanley Lifestyles Limited, said, “Abhijeet’s deep luxury expertise & people-centric leadership come at a pivotal moment for Stanley Retail Ltd. His strategic clarity, global exposure & proven ability to build strong,profitable brands make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our next phase of growth. As westrengthen our vision of building a world-class luxury house from India, his experience in scaling businesses, empowering teams & driving customer-centric innovation will be invaluable. We are delighted to welcome him and are confident that his leadership will further elevate Stanley’s position as India’s most admired luxury furniture brand.”
Over the years, Abhijeet has led and transformed some of the world’s most respected luxury and lifestyle brands. At Hansgrohe Group (India & SAARC), he steered one of the organisation’sstrongest growth phases, delivering exceptional performance for Axor and elevating India into the company’s top global markets while building a powerful digital-engagement ecosystem for architects and interior designers.
Prior to this, he delivered a landmark turnaround at Villeroy & Boch, achieving a remarkable retail recovery, reversing cumulative losses across multiple regions and expanding the brand’s presence to 27 premium showrooms. His earlier leadership at Audi Mumbai saw him execute high-impact market entry strategies and record-breaking luxury automobile sales. His formative years across Intercontinental, THANKS and Jet Airways enrichedhis understanding of global luxury, service excellence and high-value consumer behaviour, with hisaviation career earning him Presidential Medals from both India and the USA and selection for the US Presidential Entourage.
