Mohamed Yousuf
Mohamed Yousuf | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Aden, Yemen |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Smart Workforce AI |
| Title | CEO |
Mohamed Yousuf is the CEO and founder of Smart Workforce AI, a workforce intelligence platform focused on transforming how shift-based industries operate in an AI-driven world.
Early Life and Education
Yousuf was born in Aden on the southern coast of Yemen. At just three months old, his family moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where his father worked in the oil and gas industry.
When the Gulf War began in 1990, Yousuf’s father moved his family to Calgary, Canada, for their safety. Yousuf grew up in Calgary while his father spent every other month working in Dubai. In the summers, he traveled to visit his father in Abu Dhabi.
After graduating from high school, Yousuf took a year off from his education to travel and developed a passion for aviation. This led him to study Aviation Management at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, where he attended from 2009 to 2012. During his second year in the program, Yousuf participated in an internship program at Air Georgian, which was part of Air Canada Express. During his last year in the program, he also worked as a Flight Ops Assistant.
From 2012 to 2013, Yousuf attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management degree with honors. While at Embry-Riddle, he also worked as a crew scheduler at Air Georgian.
Career
Yousuf’s career is rooted in building and scaling technology-driven systems to address structural inefficiencies in workforce planning, scheduling, and labor utilization across sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, retail, and manufacturing.
From 2012 to 2022, Yousuf worked in the aviation scheduling sector of major airlines, including Air Canada, Sky Regional Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Flyadeal. While at Sky Regional Airlines, he helped start the scheduling program from scratch and was ultimately promoted to program supervisor.
When aviation boomed in the Persian Gulf region, Yousuf worked there in a variety of roles, including serving as acting duty manager and flight time limitation instructor for pilots and cabin crew. His work as a resource planning manager, which required him to focus on cost optimization, deepened his understanding of manpower and resource forecasting.
Yousuf was a founding member of the management team at Saudia Airlines, where his work focused on building teams and managing people at scale. He served as the manager of the crew control, crew planning, crew systems, crew analysts, and crew training planning teams, reporting directly to the airline’s chief operating officer (COO). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yousuf was promoted to a senior manager role, working closely with the COO on strategic manpower plans.
From 2022 to 2024, Yousuf worked as Director of Workforce Planning at Technicolor Creative Studios, an industry-leading visual effects and animation company that provides production services for advertising, television, film, and gaming projects. He also worked as a strategic consultant for airlines, working with clients such as Air Arabia Morocco to improve their compliance training, documentation, and overall standards.
In 2024, Yousuf founded Smart Workforce AI to develop tools that leverage artificial intelligence to optimize workforce scheduling. The company’s goal is to use technology to move organizations away from rigid, approval-heavy scheduling models and toward intelligent, adaptive systems that balance operational needs with greater employee autonomy.[1] Its work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, workforce strategy, and organizational design, with a clear focus on helping organizations adopt AI in ways that benefit both businesses and the people who keep them running.
In addition to leading Smart Workforce AI, Yousuf also contributes to the development of the tech industry by providing a pragmatic voice on the future of work, human-centered AI, and workforce transformation. His thought leadership efforts advocate for responsible AI adoption that prioritizes reskilling and augmentation before displacement, emphasizing that AI’s greatest value lies in improving productivity while preserving dignity, trust, and long-term economic stability.
Yousuf’s expert views on AI have appeared in a number of media sources, including recent reports by Fox News on how to identify AI-generated content, by Forbes on how to choose the most effective AI-driven HR software, by Computerworld on the role AI plays in tech industry layoffs, and by Technology Reseller News on the importance of ethical AI integration.[2][3][4][5]
Personal Life
Yousuf has a passion for travel that has taken him to over 40 countries. One of his favorite destinations is Brazil because of the football culture, beach lifestyle, and overall atmosphere.
He also enjoys attending World Cup games. He is a football fan who follows Manchester United F.C. and Real Madrid CF.
Awards & Recognition
In March 2026, Yousuf and Smart Workforce AI were selected as members of the Canadian Delegation for VivaTech 2026, to be held in Paris in June 2026.[6]
External links
References
- ↑ "Holistic Wellness in 2026 Will Seek to Serve Employees More Comprehensively". HR.com. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- ↑ "The Real AI Red Flags To Spot Fake War Footage Online". FOX 13 News. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- ↑ "Best Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) Of 2026". Forbes Advisor. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- ↑ "Amazon layoffs expected to disproportionately hit AWS and tech talent". Computerworld. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- ↑ "AI fears are growing: How one AI leader is balancing those worries with ethical integration". Telecom Reseller. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- ↑ "Smart Workforce AI Selected for VivaTech 2026 Canadian Delegation". AB Newswire. Retrieved 2026-05-20.