Susie Ma story stretches from a teenage market stall in Greenwich to the boardroom of Tropic Skincare. Born in Shanghai and raised partly in Australia, she moved to London as a teenager and began making her grandmother’s body-scrub recipe to help her mother with household bills. Her appearance on The Apprentice brought national attention, while her later return as a guest Dragon on Dragons’ Den marked another chapter in her business career. Today, she remains the founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare.
Susie Ma Quick Bio
Profile
Details
Full Name
Susie Ma
Date of Birth
22 November 1988
Height
Not publicly confirmed by a reliable source
Age
37 years old (2026)
Birthplace
Shanghai, China
Nationality
British
Early Childhood
Moved to Cairns, Australia, at age six
Moved to London
2002, with her mother
Profession
Entrepreneur, Businesswoman, Founder and CEO
Best Known For
Founding Tropic Skincare
Company
Tropic Skincare
Current Position
Founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare
Business Started
2004, when Susie was 15
First Business Location
Her family kitchen
First Product
Body scrub, based on her grandmother’s recipe
First Sales Location
Greenwich Market, London
First Batch
50 recycled jam jars
Grandmother’s Influence
Her grandmother was a medicinal chemist and toxicologist
Education
Croydon High School
University
University College London (UCL)
Degree
Philosophy and Economics
Graduation
2010
Early Finance Experience
Internship in FX sales and trading at Citigroup
The Apprentice
Appeared in 2011
The Apprentice Age
21
The Apprentice Result
Reached the final three
Lord Alan Sugar Investment
£200,000 for a 50% stake in Tropic
Tropic Ambassador Model
Introduced in 2013
Full Ownership Regained
2023
Ownership Today
100% founder-owned
Tropic 2025 Revenue
£76.7 million
Tropic 2025 Profit
£11.4 million
Tropic Employees
264
Tropic Ambassadors
20,000+
Reported 2025 Dividend
£2 million
Estimated Net Worth
Approximately £73 million
Net Worth Source
Sunday Times Beauty Rich List 2025 estimate
2026 Television Role
Guest Dragon on BBC’s Dragons’ Den
Motherhood
Became a mother in 2024
Daughter
Sienna
Charitable Commitment
Tropic has pledged 10% of profits to charities and good causes
Education Through Charity Work
Tropic reports funding 7.5 million days of education
Schools Supported
Projects in Nepal, Cambodia and Madagascar
Forbes Recognition
Forbes 30 Under 30, 2018
Other Recognition
EY Entrepreneur Award
Management Today
Selected for 35 Women Under 35
Business Excellence Recognition
Outstanding Entrepreneur at the Global Business Excellence Awards
2024 Recognition
Tropic named among Top Women-Powered UK Businesses by J.P. Morgan
Current Business Focus
Skincare, beauty, entrepreneurship and business growth
Personal Life
Keeps much of her private life away from the public spotlight
Marital Status
Not publicly confirmed in reliable sources
Official Height
No reliable public measurement available
Current Status
Founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare; guest Dragon on Dragons’ Den
Susie Ma Images
A Timeline Susie Ma
Year
Milestone
1988
Born in Shanghai, China.
1996
Her family moved to Cairns, Australia.
2002
Moved to London with her mother.
2004
At 15, began making and selling homemade body scrub at Greenwich Market.
2007–2010
Studied Philosophy and Economics at University College London.
2010
Graduated from UCL and later gained finance experience at Citigroup.
2011
Appeared as a finalist on BBC’s The Apprentice.
2011–2012
Lord Alan Sugar invested £200,000 in Tropic for a 50% stake.
2013
Tropic expanded its ambassador-led business model.
2016–2017
Won multiple Stevie Awards for Women in Business.
2018
Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe – Retail & E-commerce and received EY recognition.
2019
Selected for Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35.
2023
Completed a buyout and regained full ownership of Tropic.
2024
Became a mother to a daughter, Sienna.
2025
Estimated personal wealth reported at £73 million in the Sunday Times Beauty Rich List.
2026
Appeared as a guest Dragon on BBC’s Dragons’ Den.
Susie Ma Family
Family Member
Information
Mother
Susie has spoken publicly about her mother, with whom she moved from Australia to London. Her early business was partly motivated by wanting to help her mother financially.
Grandmother
Her grandmother was a medicinal chemist and toxicologist and inspired the body-scrub recipe that became the foundation of Tropic.
Daughter
Sienna, born in 2024. Susie has discussed balancing motherhood with her business and Dragons’ Den filming.
Father
Reliable public information about her father is limited.
Siblings
Reliable public information about siblings is not clearly documented.
Partner/Spouse
Susie generally keeps her romantic life private; a reliable public source does not establish a spouse or partner.
Family Life
Susie has described her mother, family and close friends as important parts of her entrepreneurial journey.
Susie Ma Awards & Recognition
Year
Award / Recognition
Result / Detail
2015
Great British Entrepreneur Awards
Bronze – Young Entrepreneur of the Year
2015
Startups Awards
Gold – Product Business of the Year
2016
Stevie Awards for Women in Business
Three awards, including Gold Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year
2017
Stevie Awards for Women in Business
Multiple awards, including Silver and Bronze honours
2018
Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe
Selected in Retail & E-commerce
2018
EY Entrepreneur Award
Building a Better Working World
2018
Global Business Excellence Awards
Outstanding Entrepreneur
2018
Startups.co.uk Young Guns
Selected for the 2018 class
2018–2019
Natural Health Awards
Highly Commended for Holistic Hero
2019
Management Today
Selected for 35 Women Under 35
2023–2024
J.P. Morgan Women-Powered Business recognition
Tropic recognised among leading women-powered UK businesses
2024
Sunday Times 40 Under 40
Susie Ma included on the list
2026
Dragons’ Den
Joined as a guest Dragon
Susie Ma Social Media
Platform
Account
Instagram
Susie Ma’s official Instagram is linked through her Tropic Skincare founder profile.
LinkedIn
Susie Ma — Founder & CEO of Tropic Skincare
Tropic Skincare
Official company social presence connected with Susie Ma and her business
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