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Alon Chen, MBA GGFBM Department of Business Administration 2000
Prof. Alon Chen is the President-Elect of the Weizmann Institute of Science and will assume the position in December 2019. Prof. Chen holds a BSc magna cum laude (1995) in Life Sciences from BGU. He received his PhD 2001 (magna cum laude) at the Weizmann Institute of Science in neurobiology while concurrently attaining his MBA at GGFBM, and continued to his postdoc as a Fulbright Scholar at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. He completed his postdoctoral research in brain processes that regulate stress and anxiety in 2005, and returned to the Weizmann Institute as a senior scientist in the Neurobiology Department, with an Alon Fellowship, Israel's highest award for returning scientists. In his multiple senior positions managing scientific research, large budgets and resources, Prof. Chen has proved to be an astute manager and leader of the highest caliber. Prof. Chen is head of the Neurobiology Department at Weizmann, director in the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, heads the Murray H. and Meyer Grodetsky Center for Research of Higher Brain Functions, the Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Neurosciences, the Gladys Monroy and Larry Marks Center for Brain Disorders; and The Norman and Helen Asher Center for Brain Imaging. Prof. Chen explains why he studied MBA along with PhD in Neurobiolgy: “Scientific research in the 21st century is, in many cases, an extensive collaborative project involving teams, resources and advanced technology. Thus to attain significant scientific achievement, the heads of such research groups and scientific leaders at many different levels often make use – alongside their vision, curiosity and professional knowledge - of advanced management tools, which can be learned. Indeed, intelligent management is one of the central tools employed today at the forefront of modern scientific research." [photo by Axel Griesche]
Alon Davidi, MA Public Policy and Administration 2011
Alon Davidi is the Mayor of Sderot since 2013. Davidi was born and raised in the Dalet neighborhood of Be'er Sheva. In 1996, he settled in Sderot. Davidi was one of the prominent activists in the Sderot residents' protest against the ongoing Qassam fire from the Gaza Strip on their city since 2000, and in this framework he established the Sderot security headquarters. In 2008, he ran for mayor and was elected to the City Council. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency. Davidi holds a BA in Education from BGU. photo by Reuven Kopitchinsk
Dr. Anat Engel, MA Summa Cum Laude, Health Systems Management 2006
Dr. Anat Engel was appointed Director General of the Wolfson Medical Center in 2018. Previously, she served as Deputy Director of the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, and as Aid to the Director General of the Ministry of Health. She is also a lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. In 2010, Engel volunteered as part of the IDF medical delegation to Haiti in the earthquake disaster. Engel believes that "medical treatment for the needy is of supreme value." According to her, success is "implementation and achievement that have an impact." Engel holds a degree in medicine from Tel Aviv University. Dr. Engel is married with two children.
Gadi Lesin, MBA, Department of Business Administration, 1998
From 2009 to 2019 Gadi was CEO of Strauss Group, responsible for all of Strauss's companies in Israel and abroad. During his leadership, Strauss's equity value more than doubled, establishing wide ranging international operations. In 2012 he was chosen by Calcalist as one of the top 50 managers in Israel, and in 2017 was number 7. Lesin served as Chairman of the Israeli Food Industries Association from 2008 to 2013, as Chairman of the Council of Manufacturers in the Manufacturers Association of Israel, as well as member of the Interface Round Table Forum headed by Israeli Prime Minister along with senior leaders in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Lesin holds a BA in business management from the College of Management and a graduate of the Harvard Business School CEO Workshop.
Viki Levy, MBA, Department of Business Administration, 1998
Director of Human Resources of Bank Hapoalim, Viki's vision in her roleis: reshaping employee experience and leading the bank into the new era of innovative employment. Utilizing advanced management tools to create real added value for both employees and managers and contribute to the bank’s overall growth strategy. "What drives me in all the position’s I’ve had is always the ability to make an impact, to empower the people I work with – whether they are clients or employees (or both) and to provide real added value." [Photo by Sivan Far
aum, MA Sum Cum Laude Health Systems Management 2007
In 2019, he Ziv appointed Director General of the Ha'emek Medical Institute of Afula. Dr. Rosenbaum, a neurosurgeon and medical doctor, a graduate of the Tel Aviv University Medical School. In 2003 he was appointed deputy director of the Rabin Medical Center, and since 2007 has served as the head of the Medical Technologies Division in the Clalit Health Manag
ement.
Shevy Shemer, MBA, Department of Business Administration,1999
Shevy Shemer serves as Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank of Israel Ltd. since July 2018. She was Senior Vice President and Head of the Business Division at Union Bank of Israel Limited until July, 2018 and was Head of Retail, Client Assets and Consulting Division from March 1, 2015 until July, 2018. Mrs. Shemer served as Senior Deputy General Manager at Union Bank of Israel Limited since August 20, 2015 until July 2018. Mrs. Shemer served as Head of The Retail Banking, Client Asset and Advisory Division of Union Bank of Israel Ltd from March 1, 2015 to August 20, 2015 and served as Deputy General Manager and served as its Head of Corporate Division since September 1, 2010 until February 28, 2015. She served as Head of Customer Relations in the Corporate Division, Industry and Government Agencies Sector, Bank Hapoalim B.M.; Head of the Negev Business Center, Commercial Division, Bank Hapoalim B.M.; Head of Central Business Center, Commercial Division, Bank Hapoalim; and Head of Business Division of the Corporation. She serves as the Chairman of Igud Leasing Ltd. She serves as a Director at the subsidiary Union Leasing Ltd. Shemer holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering & Management from BGU. [photo by Sivan Farg]
Dr. Avraham Yizhak, MA Summa Cum Laude Health Systems Management, 2017
Commanding Medical Officer of the IDF Southern Command. Dr. Yitzhak is a graduate of two Faculties of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev: from the Faculty of Health Sciences Medical School, and from the GGFBM's Department of Health Systems Management. In his valedictorian address at the Masters Degree graduation ceremony in 2017, Dr. Yitzhak noted: "A master's degree in management is a milestone that has important professional significance for us, enabling us to understand management as a process or as a collection of actions aimed at leadership for optimal change. In addition, this gives us an understanding that we live in a world of limited resources in which the essential elements must be recognized and their uses learned." Avi received Outstanding Alumni Award 2018
Idan Zu-Aretz, MBA Department of Business Administration 2006;
Idan Zu-Aretz is the CEO of RB-Doors (Rav-Bariach Group) since July, 2019, and was Chief Operations Officer COO of SodaStream International Ltd. from 2017. Prior to joining SodaStream, Mr. Zu-Aretz held senior management and leadership positions at Intel in Israel and abroad, accumulating extensive experience in supply chain management, industrial engineering management, global staffing and various cross-functional assignments including M&A integration and R&D site set-ups around the globe. From 2013 to 2017, he held several special assignment positions including General Manager of Intel's acquisition of Micron's Factory in Israel and General Manager, International Die Prep factory Jerusalem. During his tenure at Intel, he worked as technical Deputy to DG Maxine Fassberg. Mr. Zu-Aretz holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering & Management from BGU. Idan is married with four children. Zu-Aretz talks about SodaStream’s acquisition by Pepsi.
