That future isn’t so far away, if the past is any indicator. “While we knew there was demand for moving services from our existing client base,” says Yakimenko, “we were surprised at how quickly our moving business grew. IAMYP helped us to find many great partners we can rely on as our territory expands.”

Movers and employees: A symbiotic relationship

During the past four years, Selvakumar —known to friends and colleagues as SSK—has broadened his understanding of the moving business by handling several portfolios in different departments of his company, Interem. He began his career there working in sales and marketing, then moved into corporate sales, surveys and branch management. “I consider myself a work in progress,” says SSK, who today is the company’s manager, partner pricing.

Before joining Interem, he was a business analyst at 3i Infotech in Dubai. It was in 2012 that a chance meeting with Interem CEO Rahul Pillai changed the course of his professional life. He was drawn to the moving industry by the way it supports and serves myriad industries through personal relationships. At Interem, he has found an organization that nurtures talent, and a structure that allows employees to grow, excel and move forward to the next level while delivering top-class service to its customers.

Further down the road—say, in the next five years—SSK explains, “I aim to head a department within the organization. In a dynamic environment, I am always open to learn more about the industry, as well as improve my skill set to achieve my goals. “This industry has a lot to offer. Everyone has an equal chance to succeed, but it’s up to the employees to make the most of them, always with a keen focus on self-improvement and opportunities that arise. I believe any work relationship should be a symbiotic one. We can learn a lot from this industry, but we should also give back to it.”