Farooq Kathwari: From Kashmir to CEO of American Furniture classic

TRAILBLAZER

FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF KASHMIR TO THE SUMMIT OF GLOBAL BUSINESS AND BEYOND

Farooq Kathwari

When the American journalist told me he hoped to report the truth about the Kashmir uprising, I decided to help. “The government people won’t let you see what is really happening,” I said. “Why not let me take you around?”
​It was foolish of me to make such an offer. I knew I was risking retribution by the security forces. But I was a headstrong, independent young man. I wanted the truth to get out, and I would do what I could to help that happen.

Farooq Kathwari’s extraordinary life began in politically divided Kashmir, where his family was separated by government decree. He had to leave home as a refugee, helped his mother survive shock therapy, joined student activists in street demonstrations, and faced down a gun-wielding security officer—all by the age of seventeen.

Forced to become self-reliant, Kathwari journeyed to the United States, talked his way into a bookkeeping job, and earned a degree from NYU graduate school. He launched his first entrepreneurial venture selling Kashmiri crafts out of his Brooklyn apartment. When Kathwari’s best customer, the iconic furniture maker Ethan Allen, needed fresh leadership, he was asked to become its president. He transformed the company and become one of America’s most successful—and admired—CEOs.

Meanwhile, spurred by the tragic loss of his teenaged son in war, Kathwari dedicated himself to the cause of peace in Kashmir and around the world. He hosted meetings with diplomats, shuttled messages between heads of state, and worked with global leaders on issues from human rights to refugee resettlement.

Brimming with drama, insight, and unexpected humor, Trailblazer recounts a unique life story, offering readers not just an engrossing journey but also the wisdom of an exceptional leader.

Farooq Kathwari is the Chairman, President, and Principal Executive Officer of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. He has been President of the Company since 1985 and Chairman and Principal Executive Officer since 1988.

He received his B.A. degree from Kashmir University in English Literature and Political Science and an M.B.A. in International Marketing from New York University. He is also the recipient of three honorary doctorate degrees.

Kathwari serves in numerous capacities at several nonprofit organizations, including as an advisory member of the New York Stock Exchange; a director and former chairman of the National Retail Federation; Director Emeritus and former chairman and president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance; a member of the Board of Overseers of the International Rescue Committee; Chairman Emeritus of Refugees International; and he served as a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from 2010 to 2014. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; a member of the International Advisory Council of the United States Institute of Peace; a member of the advisory board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; a director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University; and serves on the board of the Western Connecticut State University Foundation.

Among his recognitions, Kathwari has been inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame. He has been recognized as an Outstanding American by Choice by the U.S. government. He has received the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal; the National Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee; the National Retail Federation Gold Medal; the International First Freedom Award from the Council for America’s First Freedom; Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award; the Anti-Defamation League’s Humanitarian Award; City of Hope’s International Home Furnishings Industry Spirit of Life Award; and the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the National Association of Asian MBAs. He has also been recognized by Worthmagazine as one of the 50 Best CEOs in the United States.