Mohamad Fakih on “Leadership, Innovation & A Kinder Capitalism” | NSB Engage Virtual Webinar

Mohamad is equally renowned as a respected philanthropist as he is an award-winning entrepreneur. He inspires audiences to grow their businesses and provides them with sustainable ways to give back to their communities.

With restaurants shut down in the early days of COVID-19, Paramount pivoted to takeout, launched three new sub-brands, donated thousands of meals, and continued to find ways diversify and pandemic-proof the business. Mohamad worked hard to keep his 1500+ staff employed while also continuing personal and corporate donations to charities and local communities.

An unwavering advocate for refugees, diversity, and anti-hate movements, Mohamad helped to fund employment support resources for Syrian refugees and hired over 150 himself. He continues his commitment to hiring refugees with plans to onboard another 100 refugees from Afghanistan in the near future.

It’s all part of what Mohamad calls “kinder capitalism” – an approach that earned him the Order of Canada and title of Canada’s Corporate Citizen CEO of the Year in 2021.

Arriving in Canada, Mohamad Fakih had $1300 in his pocket. He bought a near-bankrupt restaurant and built it into one of North America’s fastest-growing Middle Eastern Halal food chains – Paramount Fine Foods. And all while becoming one of the country’s most respected philanthropists. Mohamad inspires audiences to implement strategies that result in successful teams and businesses while ultimately giving back to the community in effective and sustainable ways, and sharing your success with others in order to create lasting change.

He’s also renowned for his philanthropic work and a believer in ‘the more you give, the more you make back’. In early 2020, he led the “Canada Strong” campaign to raise over a $1million for the families of the victims of the Iranian plane crash. In mid 2020, after the devastating explosion in Beirut Lebanon, as a Muslim-Canadian he launched the Lebanese Canadian Coalition, in effort to raise millions to help provide medical care, food and shelter for those affected.

An award-winning entrepreneur Mohamad has more than just a few accolades to his name, including 2019 Business Person of the Year in his home city, both for his success as a business man, and for his unwavering dedication as a community leader who advocates for diversity, inclusion and supporting those in need.

During the Syrian Refugee crisis, Mohamad travelled to the frontlines in Syria to better understand what relief efforts where needed to support refugees and has hired over 150 refugees to work at Paramount Fine Foods over the past few years. In 2016, he became the voice and face of UNHCR Canada, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, hosting a conversation with Malala Yousafzai and continuing the work of integrating refugees into Canadian society.

Mohamad has received the Order of Canada, the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Food & Beverage, Business Person of the Year Award by the Toronto Board of Trade, the Leadership Award by Restaurants Canada, and the Top 25 Immigrants Award by Royal Bank Canada (RBC).

View Mohamad Fakih’s profile or request more information about hosting him as a speaker.