Transcript: Simplii Presents — Bags 2 Riches | Episode 7 | Ajay Virmani

[Quiet piano music playing]

[From above, the CN Tower and various skyscrapers of downtown Toronto appear through quickly dissipating cloud cover. A still image of Ajay on a red carpet appears as he kneels on one knee and leans down, his hand touching his Walk of Fame plaque.]

Ajay Virmani: If you're going to be successful in this country, you have to work like an immigrant.

[An old grainy photograph of a younger Ajay, dressed in a grey suit with a diagonally striped tie, standing in front of a blank wall with a plant hanging from the ceiling behind him appears.]

You look different. You sound different. You come from a different country.

[Interviewing setting of Ajay sitting in his living room beside a marble wall with a recessed fireplace. Behind him, large windows highlight a sitting area at the front of the house. This scene repeats frequently.]

So how do you overcome those handicaps?

[Video footage of Ajay entering a plane hangar; shaking hands with his Cargojet crew, standing beside a plane with black and red stripes pointing off camera at something of interest to two of his employees; consulting with a pilot as they walk beneath the wings of a plane; walking through the Cargojet hangar with a young, bearded employee.]

So, you work harder. If everybody is coming to work at 8:00, I'd make sure I'm there at 7:00.

[Interview of Ajay in the living room.]

If everybody left at 5:00, I would be there till 6:30, 7:00.

[A framed photo appears of Ajay, wearing a suit and tie, sitting in a plush, high-backed leather chair. Framed topographical maps hang on the walls above a credenza behind him, where a model airplane sits. Decked out in a suit, Ajay casually leans against a nautically themed wooden fence post, with ropes connecting each post, overlooking the lake.]

And that was the biggest adjustment for me, to say I have to make up for these handicaps.

[As the camera pans by, Ajay smiles at the camera. At the airport, a pushback tug sits attached to a plane with Cargojet emblazoned along the side. Inside the hangar, Ajay, wearing a suit, stands next to one of his Cargojet planes.]

[On-screen text: AJAY VIRMANI - FOUNDER & CEO - CARGOJET.]

My name is Ajay Virmani. I'm the founder, CEO of Cargojet.

[A dotted pink line emerges from centre left of the screen leading to the centre, to a black and white image of several old-timey suitcases are shown appearing through a large camera lens.]

[The camera lens with suitcases fades to the background while the dotted pink line continues on and expands as marks on a black and white flight board reading “Airport Departures”. Several flight destinations - New Delhi, Shanghai, Damascus, and Kings - appear under the headings “Time”, “City”, and “Flight”.]

[The airport departures screen fades while a bring pink circle appears close to the screen, then decreases rapidly in size following the airport departures screen. A close-up view of a black and map showing Canada, Greenland on the left and parts of Europe on the right, appears. An airplane takes off from an area in France, heading towards Canada, a trail of bright pink dots following the flight path of the airplane.]

[From the centre of the screen a large camera lens now surrounded by a bright pink circle rapidly increases in size, breaking up the solid line to form pink dots around the camera lens. Inside the lens are a number of black and white passport stamps indicating various countries and dates. In the centre “CANADA” clearly stands out in bold lettering.]

[Title: Bags 2 Riches, Simplii Financial]

[Image of New Delhi, India, a large, sprawling city. In the foreground, a policeman stands in the road directing traffic as a tram passes in front of a large block of tall buildings covered in colourful signage.]

[Title: New Delhi]

I was born in New Delhi, in India.

[A still photograph of Ajay's parents appears with them standing side by side with New Delhi stretching out below them.]

My mom was a schoolteacher, and my dad was in the army.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room, followed by an Air India plane lifting off the ground. Meanwhile, in Canada, snow pummels the area, covering the trees.]

I left New Delhi, India, on November 20th, 1975, and took a flight straight to Toronto.

[From high above the city, the well-known cityscape of Toronto's downtown appears with Lake Ontario as its backdrop.]

I came here to Canada when I was 17.

[Old footage plays of a dreary winter afternoon as cars and an old streetcar make their way along a busy city street lined with low-rise buildings and glowing signs. The orange glow of the crosswalk signage lights up the street.]

[In an old photograph, wearing light-coloured clothing, a smiling Ajay stands at his stove making food as he looks over his shoulder at the camera.]

Didn't know the language that well. Didn't have any money. I had seven dollars.

[Old footage plays of a busy pedestrian street between towering skyscrapers. A Canadian flag, American flag, and British flag hang from the building on the right. Snow blankets trees, cars, and picket fences in an old neighbourhood. From street level, the top half of the CN Tower peaks out between several buildings, perfectly framed by them.]

Didn't know the culture. Didn't have winter clothes. Didn't know the temperatures were like minus 20, minus 30.

[In an old photograph, Ajay, standing in a warehouse, leans forward, the handle of a red pallet jack in his hands, as a co-worker looks on. Next, a still image appears of Ajay sitting in the cockpit of a plane.]

I'm a product of risk. The principle behind all this is very simple.

[Interview of Ajay in a brightly lit hangar.]

I don't go with the flow. I'm going to go against the flow because the rewards are going to be more.

[A timelapse of crowds wandering through brightly lit and brightly painted mosque-like buildings along a riverside in India plays. A zodiac chart and telescope image of the galaxy are superimposed over three small, round black candles as they flicker in the darkness before cutting to the interview with Ajay in his living room. Images of window washers hanging off the sides of various buildings punctuate his words.]

Before I came to Canada, I went to see a fortune teller in India who told me I will achieve greater heights in Canada. Little that I knew, what he meant was I will be washing windows on 54th floor of a bank tower in freezing cold weather in downtown Toronto.

[Snippets of Ajay's interview in his living room sandwich footage of him looking out at Lake Ontario as he walks across a leaf-covered boardwalk and then stands still, facing the camera, his arms crossed in front of him.]

My advice to anybody coming here is, be prepared not only to work hard, to work smart, and secondly, be stubborn that you're going to stick around ‘til you're successful. You're not going back. There is no going back out of this.

[An aerial timelapse captures the synchronized movements around a container yard as a container ship is unloaded. On the ground, stacked containers dwarf the semi trucks loading their cargo. Around them, cranes lift and lower containers. A semi-truck with a “Cottrell” logo on the side, rolls down a highway lined with trees. An aerial shot captures dozens of trucks offloading their cargo at warehouse. Inside, rows and rows of shelving are filled with boxes.]

Nineteen-seventy-seven, there was this job about a trainee at a transportation and logistics company, which happened to be Cottrell Transport. That's how I started in the logistics business.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room ends with a photo of him in a suit, sitting at a desk, with a book spread out before him. Behind him on a credenza sits a push-button phone and answering machine.]

I did have a sense of urgency to succeed and succeed rather quickly.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room is intercut with photographs from the 90s. First, a close-up of Ajay, wearing white shirt and tie looking pensive. Second, Ajay, in a suit, standing in front of a semi-truck with Commercial Transport International Canada adorned on its side.]

So, in 1990, I started my own business, and my vision was to grow this into one of the forces of logistics and freight forwarding in Canada.

[A framed photo shows Ajay standing in front of a Fastair Cargo Systems sign then slides to a photo of Ajay on a tarmac in front of a plane being loaded.]

So, I started that business. Borrowed against the house. I was in debt.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room cuts to a photo of Ajay sitting with his arms around his son and daughter while his wife and mother stand behind.]

I risked my house. My wife sometimes had two jobs. She was changing three buses to go to a job, drop one kid to one babysitter, one to another. She's a very strong woman. It was a miracle that she pulled off.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room cuts to a photo of him in a suit, sitting in his high-backed maroon chair in his office. Behind him, a model airplane sits on the credenza below a couple of topographical maps in frames.]

I was blessed to have positivity around me.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room cuts to a photo of him at the office, standing beside two female employees, smiling at the camera. In another photo, Ajay sits with three men. A sign on their table reads: Commercial Transport International Ltd. CTI Holdings Co. Ltd.]

And by 1999, we had 600 employees and we had become the largest logistics service provider company in Canada.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room.]

Just before the new millennium, I sold my company, and then, I decided to invest in an airline business.

[A photo captures a Canada 3000 plane taking off. Another photo shows a Canada 3000 plane sitting on the tarmac with other planes parked in the in the distance.]

It was with Canada 3000, which was the second largest airline in Canada. That was done in July 2001.

[Interview with Ajay in his living room.]

But timing is not always right.

[Interview with Ajay in his living room is interspersed with photos from that period. First, under the shadow of the nearby mountains, multiple planes sit parked on a runway. Second, at a Canada 3000 counter, a gentleman leans against the desk as two women look on.]

In September, we had 9/11, and nobody was flying after that, cargo or passengers. Every plane was grounded for months.

[News Article 1 is superimposed over a picture of the Canada 3000 check-in area where employees help guests: "Canada 3000 placed in bankruptcy: After days of struggling to find a way to get its planes back in the air, Canada's second-largest airline rolled to a dead stop Sunday as it was placed in bankruptcy. Nov 12, 2001".]

And November, Canada 3000 declared bankruptcy.

[News Article 2 is superimposed over a photograph of Canada 3000 plane: "Canada 3000 ceases operations: Canada 3000, the country's second-largest airline, suddenly grounded its planes and effectively shut down Thursday, hours after being granted bankruptcy protection from creditors. Nov. 09, 2001."]

[Ajay sits beside a man at a conference table signing documents. Footage plays of a Cargojet plane taking off. Cargojet appears written on the screen.]

I bought the company out of bankruptcy, and I said, "I'm only going to revive the cargo business." And that's when Cargojet was born.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room is intercut with multiple photos and footage. First, Ajay stands between two men as they stand in front of a Cargojet plane on the tarmac. Second, in a beautiful park-like setting, Ajay and a tall gentleman, both in suits, study a large model of the Cargojet plane. Next, a Cargojet plane takes off smoothly, easing into the sky above a heavily forested area. Lastly, through a hangar door, a Cargojet plane can be spotted on the tarmac outside.]

My vision was that we want to build something with scale, which is well financed, can deliver 99% on-time service.

[Article 3 superimposed over an image of Ajay in front of one of his Cargojet planes: August 16, 2016: "From Bankruptcy to profitability: How Cargojet beat the odds: CEO Ajay Virmani says it has taken perseverance and long-term thinking to get things off the ground."]

[In the early darkness of winter, a Cargojet plane is loaded during a snowstorm while an air traffic controller monitors the skies on multiple computers.]

Today, we have 36 operating aircraft and we have 16 aircraft on order.

[On the tarmac, a small vehicle pulls the items to be shipped to the plane, while someone onboard waits to receive them on the conveyor belt. On the ground, a marshaller waves a pair of red lights. Inside the plane, a pilot does pre-flight checks. As the plane taxis, two pilots watch through the window as the runway spreads out before them.]

We have started to fly to Germany. We fly to Bermuda. We fly to Cuba. We are flying with China.

[A photo of a smiling Ajay standing beside a Cargojet poster appears. In an all-white modern condo, complete with white leather sofas and a white fireplace, Traci Melchor and Erik McCormack, in formal attire, stand in front of a bank of windows with a gorgeous view of the water.]

[Title: CANADA WALK OF FAME INDUCTION 2021]

[In a still image, Ajay, wearing a suit, stands beside the circular design of his Walk of Fame plaque. On the inside edge of the circle, across the top, it reads Ajay Virmani. Below is a stylized maple leaf in red. Beneath the leaf is a small red outline of a heart with an airplane seemingly taking off at the start of the curve on the right side. Off to the side, between the maple leaf and heart is Ajay's signature in blue. Along the bottom inside edge of the circle it reads: Canada's Walk of Fame 2021. The image that follows is of Ajay and his wife in their striking attire standing in front of the sponsorship wall on the red carpet.]

[A Globe and Mail article title reads: "Strategist of the Year: Ajay Virmani's Cargojet was ready to seize the opportunities COVID-19 brought." In the picture below the title, Ajay, hands in his pockets, wearing a black suit, stands on a tarmac with the wing and engine of a plane looming behind him].

Traci Melchor: Our next inductee went from working as a window washer to becoming one of this country's top CEOs. Along the way, Ajay Virmani hasn't forgotten his roots, giving back to healthcare and arts initiatives.

[Drake, wearing a khaki-coloured sweater with a high collar and sporting a small heart shaved into his hairline, addresses Ajay at his side.]

[Title: DRAKE - Cargojet Ambassador]

Drake: Congratulations to you for being CEO of the Year in one of the most trying times in human history. I think, for me, what's most incredible is what you've done for this country during this pandemic.

[Ajay, dressed in a charcoal suit with a navy shirt beneath, looks at Drake.]

Ajay: You relate to this, right? Starting from the bottom?

[Grinning widely, Drake looks down.]

Drake: Yeah.

Ajay: Right?

[In the airplane hangar, Kyle Lowry, wearing a suit, sits across from a similarly dressed Ajay. A photo appears of Ajay and Kyle holding a basketball and wearing matching letterman jackets - black with red and black stripes and the letters C and J in red - standing beside a crate filled with basketballs.

[Title: KYLE LOWRY - Cargojet Ambassador]

Kyle Lowry: Ajay, thank you. Congratulations again. I appreciate you, our friendship. You know, Cargojet, myself, we're always a great partnership.

[Ajay, wearing his black suit and black shirt, raises his arm as he addresses Kyle.]

Ajay: You're one of the people who don't follow the crowd and write your own rules and create your own paths.

Kyle Lowry: Appreciate it.

Ajay: And that's the reason, I think, we connect.

[A series of photographs appear. First, A photo of Ajay, sporting his Cargojet Letterman's jacket, captures him sitting in front of a plane's engine, his arms raised up and his hands making peace signs. Second, a large-framed picture of a stamp with Canada printed over a photo of Ajay rests on a chair. Next, a canvas appears with a portrait of Ajay in the centre sandwiched between Indian architecture on the left and the CN Tower on the right. Below the CN Tower, on the bottom right, the tail of the plane is emblazoned with a maple leaf, and above the building in India, on the top left, is a small portrait of Ajay as a child. Finally, a group shot of all of Cargojet's employees, including Ajay, with their thumbs up.]

My attitude, certainly towards this country is one of gratitude. One I feel that has given me and given a lot of people like me opportunities.

[Snippets of Ajay's interview from his living room are intercut with footage of a number of other Bags 2 Riches individuals: Shushma Datt, Chris Boucher, Allen Lau, Tareq Hadhad, Georgia Simmerling, and Isabel Kanaan, followed by images of diverse Cargojet employees.]

But over the past 40 years, what I have seen, what immigrants have brought to this country, it's diversity. Not just diversity of skin colour, it's diversity of ideas, it's diversity of brainwaves, it's diversity of skills that is so important for growth of any country, and that is the real oxygen to any country.

[Still images are intercut with interview footage captured in Ajay's living room. In the first photo, with his hands tucked in his pockets, a confident Ajay stands on the tarmac in front of the wing of an airplane. After some interview footage, a photo captures Ajay standing behind four of his Cargojet planes, their tails emblazoned with a maple leaf overlapping a globe - giving a thumbs up. Next, the front cover of “Canadian Immigrant” magazine appears displaying Ajay in his Cargojet Lettermen's jacket holding a large model airplane.]

My biggest financial advice to people are that they absolutely cannot have the philosophy of living hand-to-mouth. They need to save something. They need to find the discipline to save something for the rainy day and save something that they can use towards their dreams.

[The Interview of Ajay in his living room is intercut with footage of him meeting with and interacting with several of his male employees at Cargojet. He chats with several of the men, shaking their hands and taking pictures with them.]

My definition of success has evolved over the years. When you are able to lift a lot of people with you and improve the lives of a lot of people around you, you motivate them to do better for themselves. That's what the life becomes in the end.

[The interview of Ajay in his living room is intercut with several still images. Over a photo of Ajay on the UHN website, the headline reads: "Dr. Ajay Virmani joins UHN Board of Trustees." Next, a photo appears of Ajay standing at a podium at the Trillium Health Centre. Another photo captures the exterior of Toronto General Hospital's Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, followed by the ornate entrance to Princess Margaret Hospital.]

So, through my company foundation and our own family foundation, our major focus has been on healthcare. I'm on a hospital board of UHN, which is the largest institution in Canada.

[An article appears on the Schroeder Arthritis Institute section of the UHN website in June 2023. It reads, "Inaugural Dr. Ajay Virmani Chair in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery - University Health Network.” Beside a photo of a woman, it reads, “Dr. Heather Baltzer, Head of the Hand Program at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, was recently appointed the inaugural Dr. Ajay Virmani Chair in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University Health Network for a five-year term."]

I want to be involved in meaningful things that help the society.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room.]

I go to a lot of MBA schools and talk to kids. I do a lot of coaching to people.

[An image captures Ajay, in front of a microphone, on stage at TIFF with film critic Cameron Bailey.]

[Interview of Ajay in his living room leads into scenes from Deepa Mehta's "Water."]

I love movies and that inspired me to make some movies, but I wanted to make meaningful movies that have something to say; a message. I am very fortunate to have invested in Canadian films that changed the face of Canadian films, of what Canadian films should look like.

[Scenes from "Water" continue, then cuts to various scenes from the movie Breakaway, set in Toronto, starring Ajay's son, Vinay Virmani, and several recognizable stars, including Rob Lowe, Russell Peters, and guest star Aubrey Graham.]

One of the movies that I produced was Water, which was Oscar-nominated.

Vinay Virmani: (in character) Our ancestors wore these in a battle centuries ago. This time, the battle’s on ice.

Ajay: Then a number of movies like Breakaway, which had cultural issues coming for immigrants to Canada, which my son experienced growing up in Brampton.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room is intercut with scenes from Dr. Cabbie, in which a cab driver helps deliver a baby in his cab.]

Then it was Dr. Cabbie.

Adrienne Palicki: (in character) My water just broke.

Vinay Virmani: (in character) Trust me, I’m a doctor.

Ajay: Which was more about lack of medical care that people get in this country.

[Various scenes from both Breakaway and Dr. Cabbie play, including several Bollywood-style song and dance routines, and a scene in which a proud Sikh father hugs his hockey-playing son.]

These were movies that broke the norm. That carried the cultural messages. That broke barriers.

[A recent photo captures Ajay with his arm around his mother, both wearing traditional Indian clothes.]

My mom passed away last year. She was 99. She lived with me for 40 years after my dad passed away.

[Interview of Ajay in his living room is intercut with several photos, awards, and articles. First, a close-up of a family vacation photo inside a picture frame. Second, several glass awards sit out on display, including an Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist award from 2004. In the hangar, in front of one of his planes, Ajay holds up two awards - one for Strategist of the year and the other, a CEO award. Next, several framed articles featuring pictures of Ajay are displayed.]

I can tell you, when I looked through my mom's belongings, she had files and files of my achievements. She was very proud of that. I was fortunate. She saw that the values she brought to me, the inspiration she gave me, somewhere along the line, it paid big dividends.

[Interspersed with the living room interview footage, a frame bearing Ajay's name appears with the words: A Man Who Can Deliver the Goods.]

And what do I work hard for? To see my family succeed. And if you can change other people's life, besides your family, that's a bonus.

[Gentle music]

[Fades to a muted still shot of Ajay in front of his Cargojet plane. As if clearing off dust, Ajay's face and body brighten, making him stand out.]

[Fade to title]

[Title: Bags 2 Riches

Simplii Financial]

[“Bags 2 Riches” and “Simplii Financial” fade to black.]

[Gentle music ends]