Mr. Ittai Ben-Zeev was born in 1975. He is the TASE CEO since January 2017.
Prior to joining TASE, Mr. Ben-Zeev served as Executive Vice President, Head of Capital Markets Division, Bank Leumi and was also a member of the Bank's Management (2013 - 2016).
Between the years 2010 - 2013 he was the Deputy Head of Capital Markets Division in Bank Leumi and during 2007 - 2010 Mr. Ben-Zeev managed the Forex and Derivatives Dealing Room of the Bank.
Previously, he served as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch Israel, as well as Merrill Lynch Technology Group in London.

Natalie Raz is the CEO of the Israel Hedge Funds Association since June 2022. The role of the IHFA is to represent and promote the common interests of the hedge fund industry with Governmental bodies in Israel and assist with regulatory reforms to provide recommendations for best practices of the industry in Israel; to provide access to professional information, and to broaden and deepen the market and public knowledge about Israel's hedge fund industry.

Natalie holds an Investment Advisor license and brings profound professional knowledge and more than 20 years of experience in the Israeli capital market. Throughout her carrier, she held numerous key positions in Banks and investment houses, including as a CEO of a subsidiary of an Israeli public company that specialized in the origination, structuring, and marketing of Alternative Investments. Natalie served in multiple management positions at Excellence Investment House, led the issuance of the first Excellence ETNs, and headed the Alternative Investments desk there. Natalie holds BA and MBA in Business Administration - majoring in Finance from Ono Academic College.

Natalie Raz
natalie@ihfa.co.il
Tel: +972-54-6430800

Sender was the Chief Investment Officer at Schusterman Family Investments where he managed a multi-billion dollar portfolio including the assets of the Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

Sender's previous roles include President of Soros Capital, Director of Research and Head of External Allocations at Soros Fund Management, and Managing Director at Duquesne Capital Management.

Sender currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Fulbright Israel, and as a trustee of the Harlem Children's Zone and the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA). He is a trustee emeritus of Yeshiva University, a founding board member of the Birthright Israel Foundation, and the founder of the Natan Fund.

Sender is the Managing Partner of KH2 and serves on KH2’s Investment Committee. Sender is also the Chairman of ExB Group, KH2's strategic affiliate in New York.

Igor Tulchinsky is Founder, Chairman and CEO of WorldQuant, a global quantitative asset management firm with 1,000+ employees and 27 global offices. Prior to founding WorldQuant in 2007, Igor spent 12 years as a statistical arbitrage portfolio manager at Millennium Management.

Igor is the Founder of WorldQuant University, a not-for-profit that offers an instructor-guided, tuition-free MSc program in Financial Engineering, and is committed to making higher-quality education more accessible worldwide.

Igor founded WorldQuant Foundry, a business incubator dedicated to building companies driven by exponential technologies. He also founded WorldQuant Ventures, a private investment vehicle focused on disruptive companies in technology.

Igor previously worked as a venture capitalist, scientist at AT&T Bell Laboratories, video game programmer, and author. Igor holds an M.A. in computer science from the University of Texas, completed in a record nine months, and an M.B.A. in finance and entrepreneurship from the Wharton School.

Lior was the Co-Founder & CEO of Liquant Asset Management, an Israel based seeding platform for emerging quantitative hedge fund managers.

Lior previously served as General Counsel, COO and acting-CEO of Lyxor Asset Management in New York, the alternative investment arm of Société Generale with $150bn of assets under management at the time.

Prior to that, Lior practiced law with Sidley Austin in New York where he focused on M&A and alternative investments. He is a graduate of the Israeli Naval Academy and holds the rank of Captain (Ret.) in the Israeli Navy and is currently an active reservist.

Lior is one of the founders and a board member of the Israel Hedge Funds Association (IHFA) and a board member of Migdalor (Lighthouse), the association of Israeli Navy officers. He is also the Chairman of the Board of the Dead Sea Guardians, a non-profit civil movement founded with the goal of saving the Dead Sea.

Max Karpel is a Partner at Akin, where he provides legal advice to emerging and established hedge fund managers as part of Akin’s global hedge fund team. He is also a co-founder and Board Member of the Israel Hedge Funds Association (IHFA).

Max has spent over 20 years advising emerging hedge fund managers on all aspects of launching their businesses. Max represents investment managers in the structuring and formation of hedge funds, private equity funds, hybrid vehicles, SPVs and investment management entities. An accomplished transactional attorney, Max frequently negotiates seed deals, acceleration deals and SMAs/platform agreements on behalf of emerging hedge fund managers. He also advises family offices and private foundations on structuring, operational issues and philanthropic giving.

Max regularly handles cross-border matters involving Israel and the United States. Fluent in Hebrew, Max has represented international clients on investing in Israel and Israeli investment managers on structuring and launching funds for U.S. and international investors.

Prior to joining Akin, Max was chair of the emerging managers practice, co-chair of the family office practice and co-chair of the Israel practice at another major law firm. He also served as chief operating officer and in-house counsel to a family office and private foundation.

Lior Shimonovich is the Head of Israel Institutional Sales at Jefferies.

In his role, Lior manages the relationships with the Israel’s largest pension & provident funds, asset managers and hedge funds as well as supports the public equity effort related to Israeli and Israeli-related companies.

Prior to joining Jefferies, Lior was part of the debt capital markets and structured finance teams at RBS.  Mr. Shimonovich graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering finishing Magna Cum Laude.  Mr. Shimonovich is fluent in Hebrew and spends a considerable amount of time in Israel.

Personal Information:

Co-CEO of Oppenheimer Israel, a leading American entity in Israel specializing in trading, research, and underwriting services in the US capital market. The Israeli branch has been operating for approximately 60 years.

Professional Experience:

• Managing the research department at Oppenheimer Israel for over 25 years, alongside my role as Co-CEO.
• Board member at Epitome Medical.
• Volunteer member of the Investment Committee of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (Hahevra Lehaganat Hateva).

Education:

• BA and MA in Economics and Finance from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Professional Licenses:

• American FINRA license, Series 7 and 16 (Financial Management and Research Management).

In my free time, I doodle, hike, learn Spanish, and enjoy reading books

Ron co-founded Sphera Funds Management in 2004 and serves as Managing Partner and Fund Manager of Sphera Fund.

Before establishing Sphera, Ron served as Head of JPMorgan Chase Israel and had held various investment banking and advisory roles at JPMorgan and Cowen in New York.

Ron holds a B.A. in Economics from Bar-Ilan University and an M.B.A. from Yale University.

Gabi has 25 years of experience in investment management in the Israeli capital market.

Chairman of the board of Abra (public company) which is controlled by Alpha funds group,

Founding Partner & Chairman at Alpha Private Equity.

Gabi has led some of the most notable transactions in the industrial and services sectors in Israel.

Gabi holds a BA in economics and MBA from Bar Ilan University.

Ariel has more than 20 years of experience as an analyst and fund manager in global investment management. Ariel is a co-founder of Gilboa Fund of Funds, Limited Partnership, an Israeli based investment vehicle launched in 2014, dedicated to investments in Israeli Investment Funds and Investment Managers. He is also a founding member of the Israeli Hedge Fund Association. Prior to Gilboa, Ariel was the managing partner at Alpha Global, a long/short global equity hedge fund. Before that Ariel was the managing partner of Tamir Fishman Equity Opportunity Fund, an Israeli based long-short value oriented hedge fund, a senior analyst focused on deep fundamental analysis of global equities at Alverstoke Capital, a New York based hedge fund which specialized in applying a private equity approach to public markets, and an analyst and portfolio manager at Evergreen Investment Management, where he oversaw equity and fixed income investments for clients through managed accounts. Ariel received an MBA, Magna Cum Laude, from New York University, Stern School of Business (2003-2005). And a B.A, Magna Cum Laude, in Business and Economics from the Hebrew University (1996-1999).

Sam Vecht, CFA is Managing Director and portfolio manager on the Global Emerging Markets Equities Team within BlackRock’s Fundamental Equity Group. Mr. Vecht manages long and long-short equity funds.

Mr. Vecht's service with the firm dates back to 2000.

Mr. Vecht earned a degree, in international relations and history from the London School of Economics.

Chief Investment Officer at The Phoenix Financial Group and CEO of Phoenix Capital Partners Ltd.

Leads Israel’s largest and most prominent investment team, comprising over 75 professionals. Previously held several senior roles within the group, including Head of Long-Term Savings and Head of Nostro. Holds an MSc in Management Science and a BA in Economics, both from Tel Aviv University.

Ram Sheves is a team leader in the Global commercial and Industrial Clients Department at Valley National Bank, focusing on working with institutional clients, industrial companies, and international financial firms with a presence in the United States.

He has extensive experience in providing commercial credit and complex financing solutions. Previously, he served as Head of the Investment Department and as a Compliance Officer at Bank Hapoalim in Israel, which gives him a significant advantage in working with Israeli clients operating in the international arena and in understanding their unique needs.

Ram holds a bachelor’s degree in law and business administration from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and was certified in Israel as a lawyer and investment advisor.

Bio: Vered is the CEO of Raveh Ravid Family Office. Her role includes the overseeing and management of each family’s assets in accordance with their vision and family culture. This includes the establishing of a comprehensive view of the family assets, defining long and short-term goals, assessing opportunities and risks, transforming decisions into actions, and continuously monitoring their portfolios. In addition, Vered guides the families through intergenerational transition processes, ensuring that the transfer of assets is conducted in a sensitive manner, tailored to each family and its members, while adhering to the family’s values and objectives.

As CEO of the Family Office, Vered is positioned at a key junction, navigating between financial and business endeavors, along with family matters that require dedication and personalized attention. Vered brings extensive experience in financial investments, both locally and globally, along with a profound understanding of the Israeli and international banking and investment systems.

Before heading the Raveh Ravid Family Office, Vered held management roles at various Israeli and international banks and investment banks for over 15 years, where she led professional teams and provided high-end financial consultancy services. During these years, she acquired a broad understanding of global financial markets, while establishing client-focused business relationships with numerous private and corporate clients.

Vered received her BA in Business Administration (specializing in financing) from The College of Management in 1995

David Ram is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Goldrock, a high‑touch multi‑family office serving ultra‑high‑net‑worth families in Israel and around the world. Since joining Goldrock in 2008, he has crafted the firm’s investment strategy, chaired its Investment Committee, and overseen deployment across public and private markets.

Prior to Goldrock, David established the Israeli office of VantagePoint Venture Partners, where he was among the first investors in climate‑tech and later‑stage venture opportunities in Israel. He began his career in New York at Merrill Lynch in 1998, building high‑growth equity portfolios for wealth‑management clients, and later that year relocated to Israel to join Ernst & Young as a Senior Manager in Corporate Finance. David holds a B.S. in Finance from Yeshiva University.

A committed philanthropist, David has devoted significant time to advancing upward economic mobility in Israel. He served on the board of Ogen from 2013 to 2025 and in 2024 co‑founded ReHome—Israel’s first social‑housing finance support fund created to assist victims of October 7. He lives in Israel with his wife, Rochelle, and their three children.

Tom leads capital introduction in the Middle East for Marex prime services from Dubai. Before joining Marex in 2024, Tom worked in Dubai for the largest Placement Agent in the Middle East, connecting regional investors with leading global alternative investment managers. Prior to that, Tom was an Institutional Sales Executive at Aurum Funds in London, a $6.3bn specialist fund of hedge fund, where he was responsible for raising capital from institutional investors across the globe including the Middle East.

Tom is a CFA Charterholder, and holds a BSc in Industrial Economics from the University of Nottingham.

Over 15 years of experience in the capital markets.
Experience managing proprietary trading for public companies, provident funds, and advanced study funds, as well as 5 years as head of hedge funds at Psagot Investment House.

For the past two years, he has been managing IBI Re’em Hedge Funds.

Yoav Caspi is Deputy CIO, OPM at Phoenix Capital Partners Insurance, the investment arm for Phoenix Financials, Israel's largest asset management company. In his role, Yoav is in charge of managing publicly listed global equity, global credit and FX & rates exposures outside of Israel. Yoav is also part of the senior asset allocation team and a member of the green light forums for illiquid assets.

Yoav has been at Phoenix insurance since 2015 and has been active in capital markets since 2005. Prior to joining Phoenix, Yoav managed a global equity long/short hedge fund at Migdal capital markets, managed global investments at the Brazilian Banco Itau (in New York) and also managed private portfolios at Psagot. Yoav holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry and economics from the Tel Aviv University as well as an MBA from Columbia Business School.  

In December 2024, Nir founded the OLIVO Long Horizon Fund. With approximately 24 years of experience in the Israeli capital market, he previously served as VP Research and Portfolio Manager of mutual funds at More Investment House until the end of 2024, where he was instrumental in building the research department and managing leading equity funds.

Throughout his career, he has held various investment management and research positions at leading financial institutions. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor's degree with honors in Economics and Accounting, and an MBA.

• Define and execute Migdal’s global equity investment strategy across developed and emerging markets.
• Oversee a team of portfolio managers and external mandates.
• Lead stock selection and sector allocation decisions for active portfolios.
• Conduct deep fundamental analysis and macroeconomic assessment to support investment decisions.
• Manage relationships with global asset managers, brokers, and research providers.
• Monitor performance attribution, benchmarks, and KPIs across all strategies.
• Prior to Migdal, Gilad was a VP of sales at BlackRock from 2020-2023

Daniel has over 20 years experience in the financial industry. For the last 5 years he has been the Head of Global Equities with one of Israel's largest pension funds, with discretion for ~US$30bn.

Previously, Daniel was a PM for a number of Israel’s largest institutions; he started his career as an analyst with a long-short Emerging Market fund, and qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG UK.

He is a CFA charterholder, and earned a BA (Econ.) from the University of Manchester.

Edo Pollack is Partner-in-Charge for the Israel office and leads the Taz Group in Israel. He is also a member of the Financial Services Group, with over 20 years of experience serving both the commercial and financial services sectors. Edo leads the U.S. services in Tel Aviv. He specializes in the taxation of venture capital, private equity. and hedge funds. In addition to advising the funds, he also provides services to the underlying portfolio companies, from start-ups to well-established growth companies.

Edo’s interest in cross-border investing led to his development of the Israel-based team. Currently, he leads the operations from the firm’s Tel Aviv office.

Edo plays an integral role for clients, advising them as they raise capital, structure their investments, and navigate the complexities of U.S. tax compliance.

While based in the United States, Edo played an active role in the New York Society for Certified Public Accountants, including serving as vice-chair of the chapter’s annual conference. Currently, he supports Ezer Mizion, Israel’s largest health support organization.

Edo has presented on topics of accounting, tax, and portfolio companies, including high-tech and start-ups. He also provides internal training and mentoring of staff.

Harel Gillon is Co-CEO of Oppenheimer Israel, one of the largest global brokerage and investment banking house in Israel, having served in this position since 2005. Oppenheimer Israel’s clients include the country’s leading financial institutions, among them insurance companies, investment houses and hedge funds.

Harel has managed the subsidiary of parent company Oppenheimer & Co. inc through corporate changes relating to its sale from CIBC in 2008 and through the Global Financial Crisis. He has over 25 years of experience in capital markets, previously working in a range of sales and trading roles. Harel holds an MBA from IDC Herzliya and had previously served in the Intelligence Unit within the Israeli defence forces.

Nadav is a Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Sphera Tech Fund.

Nadav joined Sphera in 2013 as an Equity Research Analyst focusing on the Tech, Consumer, and services industries. Before joining Sphera, he was the Equity Research Analyst of Camalia Capital Markets in the years 2010-2013.

Nadav Holds a B.A. in Social Sciences with an Emphasis on Management at The Open University.

Scott is Senior Partner at Battery Ventures, a firm he joined in 1997.

He leads investments in the United States, Middle East and Europe. Scott has focused on a variety of investments at Battery, including venture- capital and private equity in sectors including enterprise infrastructure; materials science; application software; business services; media; and financial services.

Scott has been named multiple times to the Forbes Midas List, which ranks top venture capitalists from around the world. He graduated with honors from Brandeis University with a BA in International Relations and Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.

He and his wife are proud parents to 5 wonderful sons.