Been there, Dunn that

After a holiday in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier in 1986, 22-year-old Andrew Dunn went home to England with fond memories - and a plan that would allow him to ski for free. Or so he hoped. It involved a £5,000 bank loan, roping in some friends and setting up a ski business named Ski Skint.

That particular acorn soon fell by the wayside, but from it a similar idea grew - one that has developed into luxury travel business Scott Dunn, with yearly revenues in the region of £100 million (S$180 million) and offices in London, San Diego and now Singapore. The company founded by Andrew Dunn (his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all named Scott) is consistently ranked among the best specialist tour operators by the likes of Condé Naste Traveller and The Telegraph's Luxury Travel section.

"I set up a ski company without a great deal of thought," says Mr Dunn. "My very wise grandmother persuaded me to change the name to Scott Dunn and taught me that people are willing to pay for the best." He worked out of a basement flat in Hammersmith and for the first nine years offered a selection of European ski vacations. "We revolutionised the way people did holidays - we were young, ambitious and service-oriented."