Simon M. Kaye, CEO & Founder of JAGUAR FREIGHT SERVICES

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Where are you from and what was it like growing up there? I’m originally from London, England. Culturally London is a great city and I feel my love of theater and the arts are largely influenced by being dragged around museums by my parents at a young age!

What is your Hometown famous for and what do you think about it? London is famous for a variety of historical events and cultural landmarks. But most famous of all must be the world’s greatest football team, Tottenham Hotspur!

Does your Hometown have a famous dish and do you like and why/why not? England in general is not known for its cuisine. However, being such an ethnically diverse city, London has a host of different foods to choose from. My favorite is Indian. I recommend Rani Vegetarian Restaurant in Finchley London, they do a great Aloo Gobi.

What brought you to NYC? I moved to the NY area in 2002, to find and hire a manager for my NY office, which I did. However, I was only supposed to stay for 12 months, that was 20 years ago!

What inspired you to pursue your chosen career path? Logistics and transportation is in my blood. My grandfather was a trucker and my father chartered and ran his own shipping line for conventional cargo. I think logistics chose me , rather than the other way around, although looking back I’m grateful that it did, I absolutely love the industry, warts and all!

What was a defining moment in your career? When I was about 25yrs old, I made a sales call on a large multiple billion dollar prospect, not that I fully realized their size at the time, and for whatever reason the main decision maker took a shine to me and awarded us the business. We then kept it for another 20yrs and that sales call set me on the path I am still on today.

What about NYC has made you stay? The pace, the energy and the opportunities in New York are like nowhere else in the world. I love it and find everywhere else pedestrian by comparison.

What’s the biggest cultural difference you’ve noticed between America and your home county? It’s not advisable to generalize, but broadly speaking, people in the UK are of the mindset that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, while in America, broadly speaking, people of are of the mindset, “lets break it and make it better”.

What do strong European-American relationships mean to you, your life, and your organization? The UK and Europe in general is where I’ve come from, while America is where I am going. There is an amazing bond between the two continents, that runs both ways, and from a business and personal perspective I enjoy building and growing those ties in all of my interactions.

Thank you, Simon, for sharing your story !