Moatassem Moatez gave an exceptional speech during the 2022 Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE). It’s not surprising; Moatez delivered eloquent and compelling presentations in TED Talks as recently as 2019.
He reveals, “What I had to say at the OABE’s came from the heart. Covid hit REALLY hard like a curveball to all of us. I hope that whatever I said gave a little bit of hope to people that are still trying to receive the pitch. That one day this ball is going to come straight to you and you’re going to hit it.”
While the rapid achievements of My Courier might look like an example of overnight success, Moatassem brings years of experience in startups to this project. Moatez adds, “Being part of navigating chaos and uncertainty was something that I had experience with.
Moatez worked as a marketing manager with Nestle and Unilever for years, when he took a leap of faith and tried his hand at his Loyalty and Rewards driven startup. The program was so successful that it captured the attention of Vodafone, initiating a partnership that spurred an onset of startups that multiplied for ten years within areas of the Middle East.
In 2019, just ahead of the pandemic, Moatez decided to move his wife and two small boys to Canada from Egypt. After a sufficient amount of research on safe, family-friendly communities with good schools, Oakville, Ontario, kept revealing itself in the results. “My heart was drawn to the town,” Moatez confesses.
By the summer of 2019, he had relocated his family. Upon arrival, they were met with considerable support. Moatez set up an initial workspace with ACE Coworking.
Moatez shares, “Nancy and Mark Fornasiero, owners of both locations, were so supportive from the beginning, giving us information for my family that helped us settle in. That meant a lot to me. These are the things that help you know that you are in the right place. The more that you are welcomed, the more that you want to give back to the community.”
When Moatassem landed in Canada in 2019, he didn’t know which direction he was yet going to take. In 2020 when COVID-19 hit, Moatez was still building his network, trying to determine how he could add value to the community.
One day when ordering something from a local retailer who told him that they didn’t yet have a delivery setup at that time, advising him to pick up his item from the store, he thought that he couldn’t be the only one with this problem.
Moatez decided to take his car and start delivering. He learned and spoke with customers, drivers, and retailers. Not three months later, he decided that there was a value that he could provide to this industry and launched My Courier.
With a feasible business plan in place, Moatez then asked himself who his first client should be. He thought, “ Why not shoot for the moon? Who is the biggest retailer? – Amazon.”
Moatez pitched, and they responded. After numerous interviews, Amazon realized the benefit of a partnership. Moatez has been building a sustainable relationship for the past two years.
When asked, Moatassem attributes the explosive expansion of his business to being in the right place at the right time. He reveals, “Amazon was looking to increase their capacity. They wanted to work with entities ready and able to jump in and someone reliable. My background made them aware that I was able to navigate through the ambiguity of the times and knew how to deliver.”
Only two short years later, My Courier has 70 drivers, more than 110 employees and a full office team. They provide service across the GTA to Hamilton and as far north as Barrie. They currently have a team working on potential expansion to Quebec, and if feasible, service will commence within this year.
Moatez identifies the distinct advantage of choosing My Courier over a larger delivery service, “My Courier has real people speaking to customers; not an automated answering service. What we offer is more personalized and customized. Delivery times can be adjusted if needed. We can maneuver faster than a big ship. Big delivery businesses do not have that flexibility.”
High turnover of staff is not a stranger to this industry. Moatassem expects it. My Courier has hired a lot of people for reasons, many of which were for those who needed to make ends meet due to job loss over the past two years. My Courier gives a chance to people to help them get on their feet.
Moatassem imparts some wisdom to share, “Lots of people feel the hardship. Hard work and consistency do pay off. Eventually, success comes to people. It's not about if it will come; it's about when it will come. Keep in your lane; eventually, things will fall into place, and you will be in the place that you always wanted.”
The Oakville Chamber of Commerce concluded that “Moatassem relied on his knowledge, judgement, empathy, and wholeheartedly embodies the entrepreneur spirit.” – making My Courier the exemplary choice as 2022’s Entrepreneur of the Year.