Israeli Advisory Board
Joseph Atsmon has served as Director of Nice Systems Ltd. since September 2001 and as Vice-Chairman of the Board since May 2002. He is also a director of Ceragon Networks Ltd., Radvision Ltd. and Vocaltec Communications Ltd. since 2005. From 1995 until 2000 Mr. Atsmon served as Chief Executive Officer of Teledata Communications Ltd., a public company acquired by ADC Telecommunications Inc. From 1978-1998 Mr. Atsmon was with Tadiran Ltd. rising to the position of Corporate Vice President for Business Development. Mr. Atsmon holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. (Specialty Area: IT/Security)
David Blumberg is president of Blumberg Ltd., a financial consulting firm that specializes in advising real estate companies, domestic and international financial institutions doing business in Israel. Mr. Blumberg also serves as Chairman of the Board of ICIC, The Israeli Credit Insurance Company Ltd. From 1998 until 2006, Mr. Blumberg served as Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Jerusalem, after serving for three years as the bank’s Vice Chairman. Between 1996 and 2000, Mr. Blumberg served as a Senior Advisor to ANZ BanK, one of Australia’s largest banks, assisting them to establish banking operations in Israel. From 1981-1995, Mr. Blumberg served in a number of senior executive positions in Israel’s fourth largest bank, United Mizrahi Bank, including Managing Director and C.E.O. (1993-1995) and Managing Director (1988-1993) of Mizrachi’s mortgage bank, Tefachot,, the largest mortgage bank in Israel at the time. Previously, he served as the head of Mizrahi’s International Division and was a member of the Bank’s Executive Committee.
For ten years (1971-1981), Mr. Blumberg served in various positions at the Bank of Israel, including Deputy Foreign Exchange Controller and Deputy Director of the Lending Department. Mr. Blumberg has served as the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Israel Banking Association, and was a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Bank of Israel. He was on the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Finance Committee of Israel’s largest health fund, Kupat Holim Clalit. He was also a board member of Osem Industries. Mr. Blumberg is a member of the Advisory Committee of banking affairs of the Bank of Israel. Highly active in philanthropic, educational and communal affairs, Mr. Blumberg is Chairman of the Board of the Jewish National and University Library, Chairman of the Adi Foundation, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Hebrew University and of the Open University, a member of the Management Committee of the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies. Mr. Blumberg, 62, received his B.A. in economics and MBA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He and his wife, Esther, reside in Jerusalem and have three children.
David Brodet, is an economics and management consultant and owns the consulting company 'David Brodet Ltd'. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the following organizations: Hadassah Medical Organization (since 1999), Ben Gurion University of the Negev (since 1998), The Jerusalem Foundation (since 1998), Hadassah Academic College (since 1989) and The Falk Institute for Economic Research (since 1998). He also serves as the Academic Director of the Caesarea Forum/Conference (since 2005), as a member of the Boards of Directors of Alony-Hetz (since 2003) and of Global Medical Network (since 2004), as Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Makefet Pension Fund (since 2003), as a member of the Mergers and Anti-trust Advisory Committee (since 2006) and a member of the Directorate for the Blue Square Cooperative Association (since 2000). As a 30-year veteran of Israel’s Civil Service he was Economist and Head of Economic Planning Authority (1968-82), Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (1983-87), State Budget Director at the Ministry of Finance (1991-94) and Director-General of the Ministry of Finance (1995-97). He participated in the National Economy Stabilization Program (regulation of prices) (1984-87) and served as the head of the Israeli economic delegation during the peace talks with the Palestinians in Paris (1993-94) that resulted in the Paris Protocol. In the business sector, David Brodet served as the Chairman of the Mizrahi Bank and Bank Tefahot (1997-98), Chairman of Yes Satellite Television (1999-2004), Chairman of the Blue Square retailing chain (2000-2003), Chairman of Imageset Satellite Imaging Company (1998-2000), Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Apex Equity Fund (1999-2002), Chairman of Atlantium – a start-up company for purifying water by laser (1997-2001), Chairman of Karnit Government Insurance Corporation (1994-1998), and Deputy Finance Director for Israel Aircraft Industries (1987-1991). He served as a Director of the following companies: Teva, Direct Insurance, Amenet, Ikea, HaMashbir LeTsarchan, Elta, Israel Aircraft Industries and Milgam. He has also lectured since 1998 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (School of Business Management), since 1998 at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Public Policy), since 2006 at the Herzlia Interdisciplinary Center (Business Management) and since 2005 at the College for National Security (Haifa University). He also lectured between 1972 and 2006 at the Ruppin College (Economics). He graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a B.A. in economics and political science (1969) and an M.A. in economics (1973).
Joseph Ciechanover, is President of the Challenge Funds – venture capital funds with capital of over $200 million. He has served as chairman of the board of El Al Israel Airlines and as president of PEC Israel Economic Corporation. Mr. Ciechanover has also served as Chairman of the Board of Israel Discount Bank, Israel’s third largest commercial bank. He has served in several government posts in Israel and abroad, including Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; head of Israel’s Defense Mission for the United States and Canada, and General Counsel to the Israel Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Agriculture. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston University, an L.L.M. from the University of California at Berkeley and a Magister Juris degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a member of the New York and Israeli bars. He was awarded Honorary Doctorates from both Boston University and The Jewish Theological Seminary as well as The Medal for Distinguished Service from the Pentagon. Mr. Ciechanover is a Member of the French Academy of Humanities.
Neil Cohen is a general partner of Israel Seed Partners, a leading Israeli venture capital firm which he co-founded in 1994. Since founding Israel Seed Neil has led or co-led investments in Compugen (NASDAQ: CGEN), Denx (ASE: DNX), Topspin Medical, Mobile Access Networks and Ultrashape. Previously Neil was vice president of sales and marketing at Biodar, a specialty chemicals and drug delivery company now a division of Makhteshim-Agan (TASE: MAIN), and before that was part of the bioscience advisory group at NM Rothschild and Sons in London and Princeton. Neil was also one of Israel's leading English-language economic journalists, appearing frequently in print and broadcast media both in Israel and internationally. Neil currently serves on several Boards of Directors including Finjan, Ultrashape, Broadlight, Xtellus and Topspin Medical. Neil holds an MA with first class honors from Oxford University. (Specialty Areas: Life Sciences; IT/Security)
Yossi Dashti, after a 30 year career in the high tech sector, Yossi is currently conducting research, at Ben Gurion University in Israel, on high technology entrepreneurs. His research, a part of his doctoral study, focuses on the success factors of high tech ventures and the impact of social networking on entrepreneurship. Additionally, Mr. Dashti serves on several advisory boards and investment groups and is an active community leader involved with educational and non-profit socially responsible organizations both in Israel and in the US including: Merage Foundation for US-Israel Trade, NATAL, American Technion Society, Herzeliya Interdisciplinary Center, and AIPAC. Prior to joining the academic world, Mr. Dashti was a member of the California based Broadcom Corporation management team that led a record-setting IPO in 1998 and the M&A integration of over 20 acquired companies in multiple global locations. He also served as a strategic and business development executive with the San Diego based Safeskin Corporation where he prepared the IT organization for outsourcing and helped position the company for acquisition. He also held global electronic commerce management positions with Western Digital, IT management, AST Computers, and various technical positions with Digital Equipment Corporation. Born and raised in Israel, Mr. Dashti served in the Israeli Air Force and was educated in the US. He earned a B.Sc. in computer information science from the University of San Francisco and a MBA from the University of California (Paul Merage School of Business) where he focused on international marketing and information technology and was instrumental in the initiative to establish the UCI Corporate Partnership. Mr. Dashti is married to Ivy, a marriage and family therapist, and the two reside with their 4 children in Raanana, Israel. (Specialty Areas: Life Sciences; IT/Security)
Ron Gutler has served as Chairman of the Board of "Nice Systems" since May 2002 and also serves as the Chairman of the Board of “G.J.E 121 Promoting Investments Ltd”, a real estate investment company. Mr. Gutler is also a director of "Psagot Ofek-Fund Management" and a member of the Advisory Board of Poalim Real Estate (part of Poalim Capital Market Group). From 2000-2002 he managed the Blue Border Horizon Fund, a global macro fund. Mr. Gutler is a former Managing Director and a Partner of Bankers Trust Company (currently part of Deutsche Bank) and headed its trading and sales activities in Asia, South America and Emerging Europe. He also established and headed the Israel office of Bankers Trust. Mr. Gutler holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Relations and a Master‘s degree in Business Administration, both from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. (Specialty Area: IT/Security)
Dov Hershberg is a private economic development consultant and the immediate past Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation (“BIRD”). BIRD is the joint American Israeli foundation involved in the matching and financing of advanced technology projects of Israeli and American companies. While there Mr. Hershberg was responsible for all of BIRD’s activities including the management of an endowment of $110 million and the support of more than 700 joint development projects, more than 250 of which were started after he joined BIRD in 1997. These projects have generated more than $8 billion in sales. Prior to joining BIRD, Mr. Hershberg held various senior management positions in software development, marketing and sales. He was the founder and Chief Executive Officer, with colleagues from Stanford University, of Molecular Applications Group (MAG); which created molecular function software in biomedical research. He spent eleven years at Digital Equipment Corporation, in Merrimack, New Hampshire and in Herzliya, Israel, in various senior management positions in product development, marketing and sales and worked as a mathematician in the Israeli Aircraft Industry. Mr. Hershberg holds graduate degrees in Mathematics, from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel and in Applied Mathematics and Operations Research from Columbia University in New York City. (Specialty Areas: Life Sciences; IT/Security)
Rami Kalish has served as Managing General Partner of Pitango Venture Capital since 1992. Prior to founding Pitango (originally under the name Polaris), Mr. Kalish garnered rich managerial experience at high-technology firms in the U.S., Europe and Israel. He previously held sales and marketing positions at IBM and senior executive roles at Orbotech (NASDAQ:ORBK), a leading manufacturer of capital equipment for the PCB and semiconductor industries. He earned a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Information Science from the Technion Institute of Technology. Some of the Boards of Directors on which Mr. Kalish previously served include VocalTec (VOCL), Retalix (RTLX), Optibase (OBAS), and RADWARE (RDWR). He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of several privately held companies: Surf, ForeScout and Comsys, among others. Mr. Kalish was, for many years, also a member of the Board of the Israel Venture Association (IVA).
Erez Meltzer, President & CEO, Africa Israel Investment Ltd. Previously, he was the President and CEO of Netafim, a global leader in advanced irrigation and agro water technologies; President and CEO of CreoScitex, and a number of telecommunications and semiconductors companies. A veteran Colonel (Res) in the IDF, he serves as Chairman of the Friends' Association of the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, the Israeli Chapter of the YPO, Chairman of the Israel-Jordan Chamber of Commerce, and is a director on a number boards of Israeli High-tech companies. Born in New York in 1957, his educational background includes Management, Economics and Mathematics and he holds Business Administration degrees from the Hebrew and Boston Universities. (Specialty Area: Life Sciences)
Dalia Prashker is active in many aspects of the Israeli economy and society. She currently invests in a number of Israeli and International High Tech companies, and contributes her time to various civic non-governmental, educational, and cultural organizations. She is the CEO of G.R.Y.P Investments Ltd. a private investment firm, which specializes in seed and early stage investments in promising high-technology companies worldwide with an Israeli emphasis. Previously, she was a founder and Co-Chairperson of the Board of directors of New Dimension Software Ltd. She established, and was President of, New Dimension Software Inc., the company’s American Subsidiary, which was responsible for sales, marketing, and customer support in North America, the company’s single largest market. New Dimension Software, which developed enterprise software, was founded in 1983 in Israel, was listed on the NASDAQ in 1992, and was acquired by BMC Software of Houston, TX in 1999. Dalia is the Chairperson of MEITAR, The College of Judaism as Culture. She is also a member of the Finance Committee of Ben Gurion University of the Negev, the Board of the Honor MBA program of Ben Gurion University, and a member of the Board of Governors of Tel Chai College. (Specialty Area: IT/Security)
David Rubin is currently Chairman of the Board of Starling Advanced Communications of Yoqneam, Israel. Mr. Rubin is also the founder and CEO of Tech Capital Ltd. Formerly, Mr. Rubin was the Chairman of the Board of Sun D’or International Airlines Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of El Al), and President of Aura Investments Ltd. (TASE). Mr. Rubin was the founder of 2D computers Ltd. which merged with Sintec Advanced Technologies Ltd. and went public on the TASE. Mr. Rubin was Sintec's first Chairman and CEO after it went public. Prior to that, Mr. Rubin was a partner and Vice President of Elul Technologies Ltd. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Rubin was the Israeli Economic Minister to North America, operating out of New-York and heading the Government of Israel’s nine economic offices in the U.S.A and Canada. Mr. Rubin is a board member of Formula Telecom Solutions (LSE) and in the past has been a member of numerous boards including: Dan Hotels Corp. (TASE), IFTRIC (Israel Foreign Trade Risks Insurance Corporation), IVA (Israel Venture Association), Sintec Advanced Technologies (TASE), Israeli Military Industries, Nikuv Computers (TASE), Mashov Computers (TASE), Data Automation (TASE), and Eagle (TASE). Mr. Rubin earned a B.Sc. in Systems Engineering, Summa Cum Laude from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and a M.Sc. in Management Information Systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management. (Specialty Area: IT/Security)
Yoram Teitz is the Co-Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Israel, the largest accounting firm in Israel. He also heads the High Tech practice of Ernst & Young Israel, which is comprised of over 250 employees and is the largest of its kind in Israel. He has advised large multinationals, publicly traded companies, private equity firms, entrepreneurs, startups, VC’s and government agencies on a multitude of related issues. With over 20 years’ experience in the Israeli high tech industry, Yoram has helped entrepreneurs and start-ups strategize, raise money and grow their businesses. He has also participated in many M&A’s and IPO’s on the NASDAQ and the European Public Capital Markets. In addition to his role as a senior partner, Yoram sits on the E&Y Global Strategic Growth Markets Steering Committee and, as such, continues to help shape the strategy that has made E&Y a leader in the high tech sector. (Specialty Area: IT/Security)
Zvi Yemini is Chairman of the Board of Hydro-Industries Ltd. an innovative consumer products company in the hose reel segment of the outdoor gardening market. From 1993-2006 he founded and was CEO of Z.A.G. Industries, a $130 million worldwide brand leader of high quality consumer and professional plastic products. A former Vice President and R&D Director of Keter Plastics he was also Marketing and R&D Vice President for Childcraft Ltd. Educational Toys and before that Director of R&D for Unitrol Amcor. He is currently Chairman of the Israel Design Forum and a member of the Boards of Directors of the Peres Center for Peace, Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, Shenkar College of Design and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He also serves as a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Israel Industrialists’ Association and is Chairman of the Board of the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center.Zvi holds a MA in Marketing from Baruch College, New York.
Ze’ev Zelig is Vice President, General Manager of the Genzyme ITG Region and is responsible for Genzyme Corporation’s business in Israel, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. Before joining Genzyme in 1994 Zeev worked for Fissons and for Mediline. Zeev also serves as the Genzyme Corporation Patient Coordinator, coordinating between Genzyme and the various Patient Associations. Zeev is a Member of the Board at Pharma-Israel and at ILSI (Israeli Life Science Industries Association). Zeev is one of the leaders in the Israeli Biotech industry and serves as an ambassador of goodwill of the Industry at events around the world. (Specialty Area: Life Sciences)
Israel Deans Advisory Board
Asher Tishler
Dean, Faculty of Management, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Prof Tsvi Piran,
Dean, Hebrew University, School of Business Administration
Prof Sheizaf Rafaeli
Head of the Graduate School of Mamangement
University of Haifa
Dean Boaz Golany
Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management,
The Technion
Ariel Reichel,
Dean of the School of Management
Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Prof. Elezari Berkovitch,
Dean, Arison School of Business, Inter Disciplinary Center-Herzlia
Prof. Yaffa Machnes
Director, Graduate School of Business Administration
Bar Ilan University
Prof. Adi Armoni
Dean, Graduate School of Business
College of Management Academic Studies
U.S. Advisory Board
Paul S. Berger, Senior Partner (Retired), Arnold & Porter LLP
Arnold Brenner, Director, U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation
Lester Crown, Chairman, Henry Crown and Company
Marvin Lender, Chairman, M & M Investments
Marvin Levy, Chairman Emeritus, Miller International Inc.
Joel Slutzky, Chairman of the Board and Director, Iteris Holdings, Inc.
Ralph Stern, Former CEO of CareCredit, Consultant to General Electric
Alan Wurtzel, Chairman Emeritus, Circuit City Stores, Inc.
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