Farhad Heydari

Founder & CEO

House of Heydari

London, UK

Farhad Heydari’s Biography

Farhad Heydari is a seasoned multimedia executive with three decades of experience globally in the luxury travel, hospitality, real estate, and golf industries.

A former television news and publishing executive, Farhad now consults family offices, hedge funds and private equity firms in relation to various projects and brand initiatives across a wide range of sectors and verticals through his holding company, the House of Heydari.

Farhad also serves as Executive Development Partner at Global Hotel Alliance and is a Director at International Golf & Resort Management Ltd.

As the former International Executive Editor of Departures, Centurion and The Compendium Magazines for American Express, Farhad travelled the world devising innovative marketing, promotion and partnership initiatives with leading brands and tourism boards in the luxury space writ large.

A widely published global editorial leader whose work has appeared in TIME, Forbes, the New York Times and other top-shelf magazines and newspapers, he now brings his unique and valuable perspective to his consultancy work,... Farhad Heydari is a seasoned multimedia executive with three decades of experience globally in the luxury travel, hospitality, real estate, and golf industries.

A former television news and publishing executive, Farhad now consults family offices, hedge funds and private equity firms in relation to various projects and brand initiatives across a wide range of sectors and verticals through his holding company, the House of Heydari.

Farhad also serves as Executive Development Partner at Global Hotel Alliance and is a Director at International Golf & Resort Management Ltd.

As the former International Executive Editor of Departures, Centurion and The Compendium Magazines for American Express, Farhad travelled the world devising innovative marketing, promotion and partnership initiatives with leading brands and tourism boards in the luxury space writ large.

A widely published global editorial leader whose work has appeared in TIME, Forbes, the New York Times and other top-shelf magazines and newspapers, he now brings his unique and valuable perspective to his consultancy work, offering strategic insights, effective communication strategies, and innovative solutions to various challenges.

He also provides advice and counsel to CEOs, sits on advisory boards and deploys his vast institutional knowledge and expertise about the affluent global consumer by speaking at, appearing in and moderating panel discussions at industry functions, conferences, trade shows and working groups around the world as an expert and commentator on matters pertaining to the world of luxury – be they people, products, places or purveyors.

Farhad graduated from Franklin Pierce University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English (double major). He played tennis and golf at collegiate level. READ MORE VIEW LESS

Farhad Heydari’s Newsfeed

Farhad Heydari

Farhad Heydari Hosts Insightful Panel Discussions with Explora Journeys Executives

Farhad Heydari

Farhad Heydari Delivers Moderates Keynote at the HumanX Summit

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Farhad Heydari’s Background

House of Heydari

Founder & CEO

Dec 2019 - Present

London, UK

House of Heydari is a multidisciplinary consultancy operating quietly at the intersection of capital and craft, translating the ambitions of family offices, hedge funds, private equity, and venture capital into brand extension and development strategies for the people, products, places, and purveyors of distinction in their orbit—from Cognac Camus and the Cabot Collection to Badrutt's Palace, Parsons Xtreme Golf, and GOLF Magazine.

RUTHLESS FILM, LLC.

Producer

Dec 2025 - Present

In 1973, he bought the New York Yankees. The city was in chaos. The team was in ruins. The timing was perfect. A documentary film in development from the makers of Downwind.

Global Hotel Alliance

Executive Development Partner

Jan 2025 - Present

Global Hotel Alliance unites 45 independent hospitality brands—845-plus hotels spanning 100 countries and 30 million loyal members—under one shared technology platform and its flagship GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme, counting Anantara, Capella, Corinthia, The Doyle Collection, Kempinski, Lungarno, The Set, and The Ultratravel Collection among its distinguished company.

International Golf & Resort Management Ltd

Director and Member of The Board

Nov 2020 - Present

London, UK

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in the United Kingdom, with regional offices in Brazil, Mexico, and Portugal, International Golf and Resort Management is a leading consultancy delivering highly specialised expertise in the management, development, and operation of golf facilities, integrated resorts, and residential golf developments worldwide, equipping owners, developers, and operators, whether established or envisaged, with the deep knowledge, best practice, and international resource needed to elevate their properties in a highly competitive marketplace.

The Acacia Group

Partner

Dec 2024 - Present

The Acacia Group partners with visionary hospitality brands, developers, and investors to define, articulate, and realise distinctive concepts across the global luxury landscape, treating each project as a living ecosystem, where brand, positioning, operations, and programming exist in harmony, and guiding every touchpoint from concept through execution with clarity and intention, so that each experience resonates not only compellingly and enduringly, but commercially, culturally, and emotionally.

Passport Resorts LLC

Strategic Advisor to the Co-Founder

Mar 2020 - Present

San Francisco, CA, USA

Passport Resorts is a San Francisco Bay Area based hotel management company specialising in the operation and marketing of high end, destination boutique resort properties, bringing a distinctly Californian sensibility to hospitality that is intimate, elevated, and unmistakably its own.

Ultratravel Magazine

Partner & Editor

Jun 2021 - Present

London, UK

Farhad was behind the relaunch of a refreshed and redesigned Ultratravel Magazine with a digital-first editorial and marketing platform, creating a more interactive version and allowing for video, audio and animation to be added.

The Rake

Travel Editor

Sep 2023 - Present

The Rake is the modern voice of classic elegance and the champion of discreet luxury. It is a leading international men’s lifestyle magazine dedicated to gentlemanly sophistication and style, and committed to recapturing the codes of classic men’s elegance.

Netjets, The Magazine

Founding Editor

Aug 2016 - Present

London, UK

Created exclusively for NetJets Owners throughout Europe and the U.S., NetJets, The Magazine is a personalized source of inspiration for members of the largest private aviation company in the world. Published quarterly, the magazine reflects the experiences and lifestyle unique to NetJets’ Owners and brings together a well-considered assemblage of articles, reportages, and trend-based dispatches covering the realms of travel and lifestyle, gastronomy, philanthropy, and the arts—all captured in a curated collection of must-read articles, essays, dispatches, and portfolios, complemented by beautiful imagery and illustrations.

Acacia Hotel Partners

Chief Marketing Officer

Aug 2023 - Nov 2024

London, UK

Acacia Hotel Partners offers fully integrated development services for owners of luxury and ultra-luxury, market-changing hotel developments, guiding every stage from conceptualisation and masterplanning through to the delivery of the finished project, including attracting third party capital, arranging debt financing, identifying suitable brands and management companies, and completing projects on time and to budget, underpinned by management's long standing track record of securing, managing, and delivering such developments around the globe.

American Express Magazines

International Executive Editor

Jan 2007 - Nov 2019

Delivering an unparalleled editorial environment and an unrivalled audience, the luxury lifestyle publications created exclusively for Centurion® and Platinum Card® Members from American Express® are a genuine 'category of one,' the ultimate sourcebook for a select community of pre-qualified HNWIs spread across 170 countries worldwide, whose discernment drives every page of first-class, independent editorial and expertly sourced recommendations across travel, style, design, and beyond, reaching the truly affluent in a manner no other media property can rival.

Freelance

Editor-in-Chief, Media Executive, Editorial Consultant and Contributor

Jun 2003 - Jul 2007

As a freelance editorial consultant, publishing executive, Editor-in-Chief, and contributor based in Hamburg, Farhad led the creation, launch, and strategic direction of dozens of print and digital platforms around the world, shaping the vision for titles including Wine & Dine, Taste, Indulgence, and Finest Finance as Editorial Director and Consulting Editor, advising emerging publishing houses across markets such as the UAE, Qatar, and Singapore, and writing extensively on travel, luxury, design, technology, gastronomy, real estate, and lifestyle for outlets including The New York Times, TIME International, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveller, Robb Report, Forbes, GQ, Wallpaper, and T: The New York Times Style Magazine, while collaborating on custom and contract publishing projects with leading global publishers across the US, UK, and Asia.

Fox News Media

International Editor

Apr 1998 - May 2003

New York, NY, USA

During his time at Fox News Media, Farhad Heydari was writer, producer, field producer and editor culminating in the role of International Editor.

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Advisory Roles

Passport Resorts

Strategic Advisor to Co-Founder and Managing Director

Mar 2020 - Present

San Francisco, CA, USA

Farhad liaises with and advises the Co-Founder and MD of this hotel operating company based in San Francisco on a number of hospitality matters. These include press opportunities and marketing, the exploration of collaborative prospects and potential partnerships for the operating company.

Current Advisory Roles

igrm

Advisor

International Golf & Resort Management Ltd. (igrm) offers advisory and operational expertise concentrated on the planning, development, and management of golf courses and integrated resort destinations.

Previous Advisory Roles

Cox & Kings

Advisor to Chief Executive

Jan 2010 - Dec 2010

Farhad was advisor to Cox & Kings' Global Chief Executive, Peter Kerkar, providing operational advice and guidance. His work with the travel brand included an audit of their luxury train, The Royal Maharajas' Express.

Publications

Why Malta is back on the Mediterranean map

Author

Feb 2018

Farhad celebrates the art deco offerings of the iconic newly refurbished Phoenicia Hotel in Malta.

A circular journey through Bhutan

Article

Farhad shares his experience of staying in five beautiful Amankora lodges in the Himalayan Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan in this article.

Memberships

British Society of Magazine Editors

Committee Member

May 2011 - Present

London, UK

The BSME aims to represent the requirements of all digital and print editors and provides a voice for those in the industry. It is the only society exclusively for editors and senior editorial staff in the UK.

Overseas Press Club of America

Member

Sep 2006 - Present

New York, NY, USA

The Overseas Press Club of America is a global association of journalists. Members are encouraged to uphold the highest standards of professional integrity and skill in the reporting of news. The OPC is also there to educate the new generation of journalists and to contribute to the freedom and independence of the press worldwide.

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Charitable Interests

British Forces Foundation

Supporter

Jun 2021 - Present

Pewsey, UK

The British Forces Foundation is a charitable organisation with the aim of improving the morale of the armed forces mainly through the provision of high quality entertainment. Farhad was on the organising committee of the 21st Anniversary Gala.

Children and Families Across Borders

Committee Member, Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament

Nov 2019 - Present

London, UK

CFAB is a charity dedicated to protecting and supporting children who have become separated from their families, as well as other vulnerable adults facing challenging and desperate circumstances.

Farhad Heydari’s Education

Franklin Pierce University

Bachelor of Arts: English and Journalism (double major)

Farhad Heydari

Founder & CEO

House of Heydari

London, UK

Farhad Heydari’s Biography

Farhad Heydari’s Newsfeed

Farhad Heydari’s Background

Advisory Roles

Current Advisory Roles

Previous Advisory Roles

Publications

Memberships

Charitable Interests

Farhad Heydari’s Education

Company

Legal

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