Golnar and Haleh Abivardi


Golnar Abivardi and Haleh Abivardi are Swiss dentists and entrepreneurs, known for their chain of dental clinics called Swiss Smile.

Early life & education

Their father was working as a natural scientist at ETH Zurich and their mother being the director of a school for the English language. Moving within the country, they started working different side jobs as teeanagers, receiving their Matura in Zürich. Both studied dentistry at the University of Zurich; Haleh Abivardi from 1990 to 1996, finishing her dissertation in 1998, and her younger sister Golnar from 1993 to 1998, finishing hers in 2001.

Career

After working as employed dentists, Haleh Abivardi, the older sibling, took over a dental practice in Amriswil in 2001, opening the Abivardi & Abivardi practice with her younger sister. In 2002, they founded Swiss Smile with its first clinic at the ShopVille shopping mall at Zürich Central Station. The business idea is inspired by the mall itself, featuring f. e. long opening hours.
In 2017 the Swiss Jacobs Holding bought a share from the Abivardi sisters and from Swedish EQT Partners that had acquired a minority interest in 2013. They continue to hold shares in Swiss Smile and the parent company Colosseum Dental.
In August 2019, the two sisters founded the swiss shine beauty AG with registered office in Baar

Personal life

Haleh Abivardi has four children and is married. Golnar is the mother of two children and also married.

Recognition and Philanthropy

Besides being engaged in charity organisations offering free dental care for people in need, both Abivardi sisters received the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award for Switzerland in 2007. In addition, CNBC Magazine described their approach in 2007 as revolutionary.