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Club Spotlights
Expanding the Wharton
Brand in Israel
The Wharton Club of Israel, with its
150-plus alumni, has grown significantly
during the past 10 years, not
only in its member numbers but also in
its number of organized events bringing
together local alumni and friends of
the School. From organizing the 2001
Global Alumni Conference that attracted
more than 300 guests from around
the world to smaller annual and quarterly
events, the Club has been successful
in significantly strengthening and
expanding the Wharton brand in Israel.
One of the results has been a dramatic
increase in the number of Israeli applicants
to the MBA program, which is
a clear indication of the reputation the
School is enjoying in Israel.
The Club’s main annual event, the
Gala Dinner, was held for the fifth consecutive
time in December. More than
130 people gathered and enjoyed a full
program of networking, lectures, and
good food. This year’s keynote speaker
was Efraim Halevi, former head of the
Israeli intelligence organization, Mossad,
and he shared fascinating insights into the
complex situation in the Middle East.
In the tradition of the Gala Dinner,
the Club selects a recipient for the
“Leadership Formation Award.” It is the
Club’s philosophy that excellence in various
fields brings leadership in changing
existing conditions for better social and
economic conditions. This year’s recipient
was the MASA-Israel program, pioneered
by the Prime Minister’s Office
and the Jewish Agency. MASA enables
thousands of Jewish young adults to
spend a semester or a year in Israel in
one of over 100 approved academic programs
by providing scholarships, information,
and support. MASA’s aim is to
help young Jews from around the world
build a lifelong relationship with Israel
and the Jewish world.
In addition to the annual Gala
Dinner, the Club hosts a number of
quarterly events that combine networking
opportunities with in-depth
lectures and discussions about a specific
topic. Past quarterly events saw
guest lecturers such as former Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Richard Jones, U.S. Ambassador to
Israel. The next quarterly event scheduled
for June 12 was to include a case
study analysis of one of Israel’s top digital
printing technology startups that
was purchased by HP in 2002. The
case study, looking at the benefits and
risks of an acquisition of a local business
by a multinational company, will
be hosted by Professor Seev Hirsch
from the Recanati Business School at
Tel Aviv University.
The Club has also successfully created
a strong, ongoing collaboration with the
local Harvard Business School Alumni
Club. With HBS’s 150-plus members
and Wharton’s 150-plus members, we
have formed the largest alumni group of
top U.S. business schools in Israel. The
combined strength allows both clubs to
reach a larger number of key people in
the Israeli business community and thus
have a greater influence. As part of this
alliance, the HBS Alumni Club has become
an integral part and a valuable
partner in all activities.
The Wharton Club of Israel is run by
a management committee comprised of Eyal Kaplan, WG’90 (Chairman), Isaac
Devash, W’88 (President), Elli Streit,WG’65, and Yarom Arad, WG’95.
– Yarom Arad, WG’95
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