The story so far

I was born in Israel, grew up in Nigeria in West Africa, and finally made my way to Canada, which I now proudly call home. I founded my first company when I was seventeen and spent most of my life as an entrepreneur before moving into investing. Along the way, one of my favorite jobs was working as a waiter to pay for university - I couldn’t believe they actually paid me to do that. It taught me a lot about people, energy, and service, which still shapes how I work with founders and my team today. I’m married with two kids, a dog, four horses, and a rotating cast of snakes and lizards - my family loves animals.

What should founders know about you?

I don’t take myself too seriously, but I take my job very seriously. I learn something new every week, and if that ever stopped, I’d probably quit. OMERS is a special place because of who we work for - Ontario’s municipal employees - so results really matter. I believe being humble, kind, and open-minded are undervalued traits in business, and I try to live by them. I like digging into details, understanding what really drives a company, and helping founders focus on what will move the needle.

What do you do when you're not working?

I try to spend as much time as possible with my kids, though they’re getting to the age where they don’t always make that easy. I love sports- it’s the last true thing left on TV- and I’ll watch just about anything competitive. I also love travel, experiences, and events; life doesn’t have enough of those and has far too many possessions. Dogs make me believe in something bigger than us-they were clearly created by something special. Family and friends are the reason I get up and try every day.