Speaker Biography
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.
In 2021, Mohamad Fakih was recognized the Ontario Chamber of Commerce CEO of the Year and the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Corporate Citizen CEO of the Year.
The Globe and Mail notes: ‘Awarded to a CEO whose personal leadership exemplifies the idea that businesses can do well by doing good. This leader’s decisions have made his/her company an excellent corporate citizen via its environmental, social, advocacy, community and/or other corporate social responsibility initiatives.’
In 2020, when COVID hit, Mohamad needed to ensure both his business and community would continue to thrive. Forbes magazine covered his pivot – launching Box’d; Canada’s first fully automated ‘safe’ restaurant – and with an even larger staff than before to support his team. His Paramount business also donated nearly 2,000 meals to food banks and shelters.
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.
He also secured the largest defamation award ever in Canada, after his defamation suit against hate crime, hate speech and Islamophobia. Mohamad donated the $2.5million earned in damages to an anti-hate fund.
He’s also received the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Food & Beverage in 2014 followed by the 2016 Business Person of the Year Award by the Toronto Board of Trade, the 2017 Leadership Award by Restaurants Canada, and the 2017 Top 25 Immigrants Award by Royal Bank Canada (RBC).
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