SUCCESSFUL business mogul and entrepreneur, 34-year-old Ameir Ahmad, the eldest of four siblings, was born and raised in the village of Meten-Meer-Zorg, Essequibo Islands and West Demerara (RegionThree) to an ambitious and “go-getter” father, Shareef Ahmad, and his humble, generous, and equally ambitious mother, Sunita Amad.
While sitting in his spotless, cozy, and luxurious office, Ameir exclusively shared with the Pepperpot Magazine that success didn’t just find him and his family; it all started with a humble, positive, and determined mindset. Ameir related that his grandparents were cleaners and tried their utmost to provide the best of what they could afford for their family. However, even though they couldn’t afford to give their children the materialistic pleasures of life, they gave them something that money could not buy. They instilled in their children the knowledge, work ethic, passion, and drive to accomplish a better life than the one they were brought up in.

Making ends meet
However, it wasn’t a walk in the park for the now-accomplished Shareef Ahmad, who has been a successful businessman for over 25 years. According to Ameir, before all of the success, his father worked relentlessly as a bus driver to provide for his family. Due to limited finances in the home, Ameir said that his mother wanted to contribute financially to the home to help alleviate some of the stress from his father. So, Sunita started to work with one of her brothers-in-law, who owned a jewellery store in Stabroek Market in Georgetown at the time.
He further explained that his uncle and aunt gave his mom “a break” by giving her a stall that was next to them for rent. He further stated that his mom told him that she gathered all of his baby jewellery and all of their jewellery and put it for sale at her business, and that was the birth of Sheriff Jewelry. Ameir also noted that the stalls are in the market and are functioning, but the family refuses to sell the structures since they played an integral role in the family’s development in business.

Even though both of his parents were working, they wanted a better future for Ameir and the rest of the family, and as such, they migrated to New York when he was only 12 years old. Ameir explained that he was a pupil at Leonora Primary School on the West Coast of Demerara, and after his migration, he went to an Islamic school in the Big Apple, after which he wrote his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and was awarded a place at the Information Technology High School. After being successful at his high school, Ameir went on to secure a place at New York University (NYU), majoring in American History and minoring in Business Management; however, he did not graduate.

Moving back home
In 2007, Ameir explained that his dad wanted to return to Guyana to invest, find a way to contribute to society and give back to his country. “When you are from Guyana, no matter where you may live, your roots are stuck here. You always have a feeling of missing home, and that was us, so we came back with the hope of getting into a few small businesses. After returning, I noticed that people were starting to use cellphones a lot, and I wanted to set up a business, so my father loaned me US$60,000 to see what I could have done with it”, Ameir said.

He continued to explain that he started to sell cell phones but found it difficult at times to receive payments from the wholesalers, so Ameir eventually opened his own store. He later expanded to computers, and eventually they pooled their resources and purchased a plot of land on Sheriff Street. There they invested in building Sheriff Jewelry, Electronics City, Subs and Salad, Italian Grill, Miami Pizzeria, and the most recent, Sheriff Security Services and Sheriff Medical Centre.

“Even though the stores were doing great, I always saw a need to expand and invest in the different industries. I am considered a serial entrepreneur, meaning, if I see that selling bread is the next big thing, I want to capitalise on it. I am grateful and lucky that I did invest, and I say this with no disrespect, but now that I look back at all of the competition that I had then, I realised that they are nowhere close to where my portfolio is. I know that if I didn’t make that switch, I wouldn’t be where I am, I would have been hustling and bustling with the retail industry, but instead, I am catching up with the oil and gas market.”

Family Life
Ameir explained that he has immense respect and love for his parents, who taught him and his siblings by example that hard work and determination pay off. He added that even though his parents are divorced, they continue to play an active role in their lives by being supportive and ensuring they are okay.

Ameir cheekily shared that his mother, who currently lives in New York, messages him daily to ask where he is, what he is doing, or just to say, “I am proud of you, Ameir. My mom enjoys traveling, and it is because of her that I developed a passion for it. I am humble that I got the opportunity to travel to the Middle East and countries like Hong Kong, and it is because of those experiences I am inspired to build and contribute to Guyana so that the economy can develop and we can be on the map for all that we have to offer in the different sectors as well as for our architectural work,” Ameir shared.

However, Ameir explained that his dad, who is now the Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O.) of the Sheriff Group of Companies, is proud and humbled by their success. “On the other hand, while I know that he loves me and my other siblings and he is proud of us, he doesn’t say it to our faces, but we will hear it from my mom or stepmom. I am motivated by him, and I know that we are a family that has a go-getter attitude, and collectively, we are proud of each other and each other’s accomplishments. I cannot do what I do all by myself, and I am grateful for the togetherness.”

Legacy
Even though Ameir and his wife are divorced and he has moved on with someone else, he said that they have a great relationship with co-parenting their two daughters, Aaria and Aliya Ahmad.
According to Ameir, life is short, and he wishes to leave behind a legacy that his daughters can be proud of and carry on after he is long gone. Ameir said, “I am extremely proud of my daughters, and I remembered the stories my mom shared with me about not being able to afford the basics like pampers for me. I don’t want my daughters to struggle, I want to ensure I give them an education, and I wish for them to make a positive impact in society. Even though women are doing so much in society, we are still living in a society where men are most dominant, and it is my hope that my daughters can take charge of my businesses without having any financial challenges going forward.

The road map is set for them, and I would like for them to take it from there. I don’t want them to be dependent on a husband or anyone else. When I am gone, God rest my soul. I want to be remembered for leaving my businesses to two good human beings who I know will use them to help others as well.

Biggest Misconception
When asked what the biggest misconception is about him, Ameir said, “I heard people say that I am not easy to speak to or easily accessible, but I wouldn’t say that. It is just that I am a serious person when it comes to money and getting the work done. I always say my job comes first because when things are going well for the company, we are benefiting, and the people that work for us are benefiting.”

Finally, Ameir said that he is just getting started with all that he and his family want to do in Guyana, whether in the construction field, medical sector, security, or any of their other businesses.
The successful entrepreneur took the opportunity to leave a message with his fellow Guyanese, especially his peers: “Faith plays a very important role in one’s development, regardless of how we choose to worship, and I am proud to know as Guyanese that we respect and celebrate each other’s beliefs.” I also want my peers to know that we are responsible for putting things in place for future generations. Let us be the foundation for a better tomorrow.”