The Dun Bradstreet financial company lavishes praise on Israel’s top leaders. It names Rami Levy as well as some more unfamiliar people.
“History will reveal that, especially in these times, the world needs the golden touch of its business leaders,” D B stated in its annual report on business leaders.
“This is the 170th year that DB is following the world economy… The Israeli extension of the international information corporation was inaugurated 50 years ago in 1961. The young state of Israel was then 13 years old; however, the veteran international company chose to believe in the pioneers who decided to establish a state on the dunes. With their “golden touch”, if you will.”
In its seventh annual report on managerial excellence in Israel, D B mostly omitted the names of familiar billionaire oligarchs and chose lesser known people. One notable exception was Liora Ofer, the eldest daughter of the late billionaire Yuli Ofer.
She “has paved her own way in one of Israel’s most notable businesses,” according to D B.
One of the top leaders is rags-to-riches Rami Levy, who started out selling food at a stall in Mahaneh Yehuda in Jerusalem and has grown into a nationwide supermarket chain that includes several stories in Judea and Samaria.
He recently attracted more media attention for his efforts to prevent the Nof Tzion Jewish housing project in eastern Jerusalem from falling into Arab hands.
“There isn’t an Israeli who is not familiar with the story of Rami Levy’s golden touch,” Dun Bradstreet noted. “Behind [his] legend lies hard work, a sharp understanding of the rules of the game and, moreover, the needs of customers and suppliers. The name Rami Levy has become a corporation but he refuses to see himself as ‘great.’
“’There’s only one ’great one’ and He’s in Heaven.’ Rami Levy believes that it is the role of entrepreneurs and businessmen to invest in our country, especially these days.
Other top business leaders, lesser known to the general public are:
Morris Kahn, the founder of the Aurec group and the international billing company Amdocs. He made aliyah to Israel 54 years ago from South Africa;
Ori Yehudai, president and CEO of the flavor company Frutarom, which D B said he “turned it into one of the leading companies in its field… During his speech at the awards ceremony, Yehudai said that the fulfillment of the Zionist dream is a combination of personal strength and financial stability for us and future generations;”
Gil Shwed, founder, Chairman and CEO of Check Point, which invented the Firewall system. D B said, “Shwed doesn’t believe in competition but in consistent self-improvement focusing on the analysis of success, not failures;”
Gil Agmon, CEO of Delek Motors; Avi Gabbay, CEO of Bezeq; Tzion Kenan, CEO and president Bank HaPoalim; Gil Sharon, CEO and president of the Pelephone mobile phone company; Shlomo Shmeltzer, chairman of the Shlomo Group, which is Israel’s largest purchaser of new vehicles and the biggest seller of second hand vehicles; Yair Seroussi, director and Chairman of the Board of Bank HaPoalim; Yair Seroussi, chairman of Bank HaPoalim, Shlomo Ziv, CPA, president and founder of BDO Ziv Haft; and attorney Ram Caspi, Advocate and Managing Partner of accompany bearing is name.
“As a young attorney, Adv. Ran Caspi represented David Ben Gurion and since then has continued to counsel prime ministers and senior figures in the economy,” D B said.
