Dr. Michael Reiner, OBM– Michael Reiner, established KIEDF with Mr. Carl Kaplan. He was an authority on Israel-Diaspora Relations. The Founder (1986) and President of the LEAD Foundation, which provides leadership education and development services in American Jewish communities. He served as the Executive Director of the UJA Young Leadership Cabinet where he was instrumental in organizing the First International Young Leadership Assembly, forerunner of the Moriah Process and the Israeli Forum. He was Associate Director of the JAFI Institute for Leadership Development and Dean of the WZO School of Emissaries. Dr. Reiner was the General Representative of the Koret Foundation in Israel. He held a Master's degree from the Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University and a PhD. from Hebrew Union College. He was also a published author, with is most recent book created for young children. Dr. Reiner is appreciated and missed by all at KIEDF.
Adir Waldman, Esq. – Chairman. Adir Waldman is the Managing Director of the Freshfields Israel Focus Group, an initiative of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, one of the leading English law firms based in London. The Group leads a team of the firm's lawyers in jurisdictions around the world focusing on Israeli corporations. Prior to moving back to Israel he was a senior associate at the leading New York law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz where he was frontline counsel on crisis management matters and high stakes litigation. Adir has a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies (1997), summa cum laude, from Yale College and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002. He served as a Corporal in the IDF Nachal Brigade combat unit 1997-1998. He has published numerous legal and Israel policy-related articles and is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Tal Keinan – Immediate Past Chairman. Tal Keinan is Chairman and CEO of KCPS & Company and co-founder of KCPS Clarity and is recognized as a leader of Israel's emerging financial industry. He served on the Advisory Board of the Ariav Commission, a Bank of Israel-Finance Ministry task force on creating a global financial center in Israel. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Steinhardt Foundation, Heseg Fund, and Reut Institute. He is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. Tal was previously a Partner and Investment Committee Member at Giza Venture Capital. He earned his BA at Georgetown School of Foreign Service and at Tel Aviv University, and his MBA at Harvard Business School. Tal served in the Israel Air Force as a Fighter Pilot and Formation Commander and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Israeli Air Force Reserves.
Zvi Furman – Zvi Furman is a Managing Partner of KCPS Manof fund, which was established as part of the government stimulus plan to address problems in the Israeli credit markets during the recent global financial crisis. He also serves as the Chairman of the Meitav-Dash credit committee. Mr. Furman previously held various positions within the Bank Hapoalim group including Head of Bank Hapoalim’s activities in the United States. He was the General Manager of Bank Otsar-Hachayal from 2000-2003, KIEDF's original bank partner for leveraged financing to small businesses. He holds an MA in Business Administration and a BA in Economics and Political Science both from the Tel Aviv University.
Jeffrey Goldfarb – Jeffrey Goldfarb is Associate General Counsel at Centerbridge Partners. Centerbridge is a multi-strategy private investment firm. Prior Mr. Goldfarb served as Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, specializing in M&A and Capital Markets, represented Rite Aid, Endo, Pfizer, Avara, Carlyle and IAC in transactions and restructuring. Mr Goldfarb received his Bachelor's Degree Magna Cum Laude from Duke University and JD in Law from UCLA. He and his family moved to Israel in June, 2021.
Orel Hashmatia – Orel Hashmatia is the Co-Founder & CEO at Causalis.ai. Orel is an experienced and dynamic business leader with a passion to effect change; highly motivated and results-driven, with a proven ability to deliver significant operational and commercial improvement. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the capacity to build strong stakeholder relationships and to successfully strategize and execute cross-functional programs under tight constraints. She initiated, structured and scaled Taboola’s Content Policy group (including Fake News prevention) from an idea to a game-changing operation of more than 50 employees globally. She was a JAFI community Shaliach and has extensive business development and entrepreneurship experience. Orel received her BA in Economics from the University of Haifa, L.L.B , Law from the University of Haifa and an MBA, Business Administration and Management, General from the London Business School.
Jennifer Janes, Esq. – Jennifer Janes retired in 2009 from her position as Executive Vice President and Bank and Group Corporate Secretary of Bank Leumi. Ms. Janes served as a Director of a number of Bank Leumi’s subsidiaries, including Leumi & Co Investment Bankers Ltd (now Leumi Partners Ltd). She received her LL.B with honors from University College London. Before immigrating to Israel in 1973, she acted as legal advisor and corporate secretary to a leading public company in London.
Ms. Janes served for 15 years on the Board of the Israeli Forum working to strengthen the relationships between Israeli and Diaspora Jews and for a similar period on the Board of the Israel Amuta of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation. Ms. Janes serves as Chair of the Israel – British Law Association and Joint Executive Director of the UCL Israel Alumni Association.
Asaad Joubran – Asaad is Partner at the Elah Fund. Asaad was on the Elah Fund I Advisory Counsel and a Limited Partner in Fund I. Previously, he was Head of Business Development (EMEA) at Zipline, the autonomous UAV logistics “unicorn” company. He was Founding CEO of Albatross Power Ltd, a development company for complex energy projects in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan. Asaad was with the Israel Corporation Group, Israel's largest holding company, where he served as Corporate Secretary for IC Power and VP of OPC Energy, the leading private power generation company in Israel. Asaad also previously served as a board member at Israel Electric Company and at Inbal, the Israeli Government’s Insurance Company.
Asaad is a leading advocate for the integration of the Arab minority in the Israeli economy. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's “Breaking the Impasse” Group and a Founding Board Member of Kav Mashve, the leading NGO promoting integration of Arab professionals in the Israeli private sector. He serves as a member of the Maala Business Diversity Award Committee, a mentor in the Co-Impact inclusion initiative, and a Community Leader at Yad B’Yad, the bilingual schools network. He holds an LLB from the College of Management, LLM from Tel Aviv University, and an EMBA from Kellogg School of Business.
David Meidan – is today a private consultant after completing a 35 year career with the Israeli Mossad. From 1982 to 2005 he served in command and leadership positions at headquarters in Israel and fifteen (15) years of command positions overseas. From 2005 to 2011 he was the Head of the Operational and Intelligence Division of the organization. In May 2011 he was appointed by Prime Minister Netanyahu to be the Chief Negotiator to secure the release of Gilad Shalit. He concluded with Egyptian mediation the first ever agreement with the Hamas for his release in October 2011. Thereafter he was appointed as the Prime Minister’s coordinator for matters involving prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. Meidan has a degree in Middle Eastern studies from Tel Aviv University (1979) and a degree in psychology from Burlington College (1997).
Eliana Mahamid – Eliana is the Inter sector partnerships manager for the Mubadarat office with Bader philanthropies. Formerly she worked with Maoz, and has extensive human rights and grassroots professional and volunteer experience. Eliana received her BA in International Relations and Business Management form the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Shmuel BenTovim is the Director of Ben-Tovim Consultants Ltd., an Israeli business development and investment banking firm founded in 1991. From 1983-1987 he was Assistant Director General of the Bank Leumi Group and CEO of its subsidiary Bartrade Ltd. From 1998 was Mayor of Kfar Shmaryahu. In 2005 he was seconded to the Embassy of Israel in London as Minister for Economic Affairs for a 5-year term.
Mr. Ben-Tovim started his career with the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Tourism (1974-1983). His positions included Israel’s Consul & Trade Commissioner to the USA in New York and Chief Economic Adviser to the Minister.He has served as non-executive director in major Israeli companies, including Bezeq Ltd., Israel Chemicals Ltd., and the Jerusalem Economic Corporation Ltd. Currently he is Chairman of Asquith Israel, a start-up merchant bank. In the area of Israel-Diaspora relations he was Chairman of the Israeli Forum, of The Israeli Amuta of the San Francisco Jewish Federation and of the Mayors’ Committee on Israel-Diaspora Relations. He is the author of Destination America, published 1986. Mr. Ben-Tovim holds a BA in Economics and an MBA, both from the Hebrew University.