Sayan Gulino is the Chief Executive Officer of Waterbom Bali, a botanical, boutique and
sustainable waterpark in Indonesia. He has worked with Waterbom for over 15 years, playing a
large role in bringing the park to new heights, with it being recognised for 9 years in a row as Asia’s #1 waterpark by TripAdvisor Best of the Best.
Raised in Bali since he was four months old, Sayan has since called the island his home. His father, Santo Gulino, founded Waterbom in 1993, and Sayan first joined the waterpark at the young age of 13 via short stints with the operations team, from Locker Boy to Guest Relations Officer, while pursuing his education.
Inspired to continue in his father’s footsteps, Sayan graduated with an IBDiploma from the United World College of South East Asia in 2002, a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics at the University of Sydney, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Tourism Management and Entrepreneurship at Curtin University of Technology.
Following his studies, Sayan returned to Bali and joined Waterbom as the Operations Manager in 2008 and worked his way up through the business until he was appointed CEO in 2017.
His commitment to sustainability is driven by the very same sentiment that made his father, Santo, determined not to cut down a single tree in the construction of the waterpark: to not detract from the value of Bali and to protect their island home. Such is his passion, he delivered a TEDxUbud talk in 2014 titled ‘Running out of water, running out of time’ to bring awareness to Bali’s water crisis, and in 2018, he spearheaded the release of a short documentary on the same issue, titled ‘Balancing the Waters’. The film also focuses on Waterbom Bali as an example of how sustainable business practices can result in returns. (A follow-up documentary is in the pipeline now as well, with scheduled release in mid 2026).
In December 2024, at The Punch Sustainability Awards, Sayan was awarded Impact Hero of the Year, being recognised for his leadership of Waterbom’s Karmic Returns program and driving the park’s sustainability initiatives, while Waterbom also received the Sustainable Business of the Year award.
