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Itamar Zur
CEO at Veho - Next Generation Shipping (we are hiring!)
Itamar Zur is the Co-Founder and CEO of Veho, a technology-driven logistics company that revolutionizes parcel delivery.1 He founded Veho in May 2016 with the vision of improving customer experience and efficiency in the last-mile delivery sector.13
Zur has a diverse background spanning law, military service, brand management, and technology. His work history includes:
- Co-Founder and CEO at Veho (May 2016 - Present)
- Manager of Sales & Customer Success at monday.com (2015)
- Segment Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble (2013 - 2014)
- Law Clerk at The Israeli Courts Research Division - The Supreme Court of Israel (March 2012 - August 2012)
- Control Tower Manager in the Israeli Air Force (October 2002 - October 2005)3
Zur's educational background includes:
- MBA from Harvard Business School (2015 - 2017)
- Student Exchange Program at the University of Virginia School of Law (2010)
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Tel Aviv University (2008 - 2012)3
Under Zur's leadership, Veho has grown significantly, now operating in 42 metropolitan areas across the United States.2 The company provides last-mile delivery, regional sorting, and doorstep pickup services, focusing on customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.12
Recently, Goldman Sachs recognized Zur as one of the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2024 at its Builders and Innovators Summit.4 Veho has become one of the largest parcel delivery platforms in America, serving over 105 million Americans across 46 markets, with clients including Saks Fifth Avenue, Stitch Fix, and Flexport.4
Highlights
Seven years ago, I cold-emailed the CEOs of FedEx and UPS with a proposal: “Give me six months. I will help you build the future of shipping.”
UPS never replied. An executive from FedEx did get back to me, saying they could build the tech themselves.
They never did build that tech.
Instead of waiting for legacy players to change their ways, at Veho we decided to build the future of shipping ourselves and partner directly with brands to bring it to life. We set out to build the most tech-forward and customer-centric shipping platform in the world.
We designed our culture from the very beginning around the customer and made ‘Obsess Over Experience’ one of our six core values.
We decided to obsess (and still do!) over every package and every customer. We don’t always get it right, but we ALWAYS look for feedback and try to get it right the second time around!
We launched innovative products like our Consumer Mobile App - where customers can leave direct instructions for the driver and track their order - and the Perfect Placement Photo feature, which drives a >77% reduction in delivery issues.
And we proved that our focus on driving a superior customer experience results in significant improvements to CSAT, NPS, and LTV (up to 40% higher!) for our brand partners.
That’s a big part of the reason we have grown retail and apparel volume by 300% this year while national carriers continue to struggle…
At Veho, we believe that the shipping industry must innovate for the e-commerce era.
Just don’t bank on giants like UPS and FedEx to do it.
What’s the best life advice you ever received?
I was recently asked this very question in a live podcast interview. I had five seconds to answer– on the fly.
I’ve received a ton of valuable advice in my life. But in that exact moment, only one soundbite came to mind:
“Stay the course.”
It might be the most obvious, yet least followed advice out there. Fortunately, it came to me early in my career and has kept me going ever since.
Before Veho, I was the co-producer of a podcast about entrepreneurship, “Startup Camel.” One day, we interviewed a very accomplished tech entrepreneur.
He had built three 9-digit businesses (and sold two). He was previously a fighter pilot. He was a professional actor. And to top it all off, he was also a painter.
It doesn’t get more accomplished than that. So I asked him: what was the best advice he’d ever received?
The entrepreneur told me he used to take painting lessons. His teacher would walk around the room and observe student work, and one day, she stopped at his station to ask him about the subject of his painting. He was unsure – and didn’t think it looked great– so he told her the piece wasn’t going anywhere. But then, his teacher said something amazing.
She said: 'Keep Going. Whatever it is, it’s going to be beautiful.' So he kept going. He improvised, and gradually he started to see a clearer picture. And eventually, it did become beautiful. That’s how he thinks about building companies - embrace the process and let it grow into something beautiful.
That story has stuck with me ever since.
Starting a company is hard. Building something out of nothing and changing an old school industry is really, really hard.
It’s easy to give up when things are messy and unclear, and when there are bumps in the road.
But remembering this advice helped me, and my team at Veho, power through the tough times. I started the company in 2016. It took four years to prove product-market fit and begin growing fast. During those years I was financially broke, moved in with my uncle at age 35, and almost gave up numerous times. But the one thing that kept me going was the belief that if we just stay the course, ultimately we will build something beautiful.
The world has an uncanny way to reward those who persist. Have faith in the process. Stay the course. And great things will happen.
Have a great week!
