Keynote Speeches
With restaurants shut down in the early days of COVID-19, Mohamad had to innovate to find ways to diversify and pandemic-proof his business; he worked to keep his 1500+ staff employed while also continuing personal and corporate donations to charities and local communities.
In this talk, audiences will learn more about Mohamad’s work as an unwavering advocate for refugees, diversity, and anti-hate movements, and his help to fund employment support resources for Syrian refugees.
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.
Key takeaways from this conversation will include:
- How to keep your business adaptable and innovative during a pandemic
- Investing in community and a kinder capitalism
- Leadership by Example
With a focus on the growth of Paramount Fine Foods from a restaurant close to bankruptcy to the largest Middle Eastern chain in North America, Mohamad Fakih talks about how innovating your business model, giving back to your community, and pivoting to a new format has led to ongoing success. In 2020, Mohamad’s pivot to survive through COVID included launching Canada’s first fully automated restaurant.
An advocate for immigration, Mohamad shares his messages built upon the concepts that diversity is a fact but inclusion is a choice. He works to lead by example and create opportunities for others, to show the success possibilities for immigrants and refugees. He’s hired hundreds of Syrian refugees and has shown the country that accepting immigrants and newcomers is beneficial for all.
Mohamad has raised and contributed millions to a range of causes to support his community and country. He does this with a philosophy of ‘it’s not about how much money you have or how many days you live. It’s about what you do with your money and what you do with your days.’ He shares ‘the opportunity to change other people’s lives is what gets me up in the morning. I feel like I owe it to Canada. When I came to Canada, people helped me, so I want to give back. I believe that when you give, you get so much more.’
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