Larry Hochberg
ELNET Co-Founder and Global Chairman
Mr. Larry Hochberg is an internationally renowned lay leader and philanthropist who served as National Chairman of the Friends of the IDF, National Officer of AIPAC, and held national leadership positions with the UJC, UJA, the Annual and Israel Emergency Campaigns of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund. Mr. Hochberg chaired the Advisory Committee of the American Jewish Committee’s Chicago chapter and served on the Dean’s Council of Northwestern University. He is is the founder, CEO and chairman of Sportmart Inc. acquired by Sports Authority.
Marta Kubica
Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-CEE
Marta Kubica brings 15 years of professional and academic experience in Polish-Jewish and Polish-Israel relations. She spent ten years at the Embassy of Israel in Poland, where she supported the Executive Office in liaising with state and local government officials, business, academia, churches and the Jewish community. For the past two years, Marta served as Diplomatic Protocol Specialist at the U.S. Embassy Warsaw. She served as chairwoman of the Jewish Studies students’ association and established an academic exchange program between the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and Ariel University in Israel.
Eric Edidin
Chair, ELNET-CEE
Eric Edidin is Executive Chairman of BH3 Management, a vertically integrated real estate investment firm. Mr. Edidin co-founded Archer Capital Management in 2006. Previously, he was a Co-Head of Credit at York Capital Management, a member of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners global investment team, and member of the Blackstone Group’s restructuring advisory team. Mr. Edidin is a former board member of the JDRF of Los Angeles, trustee of the Washington Institute, member of the investment committee of the Jewish Communal Fund of NY and the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles. He received a B.A. degree with highest distinction from the University of Michigan, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Matthijs Schüssler
Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-EU & NATO
Matthijs Schussler has started his career as an attorney at law dealing with private equity and real estate, at an Amsterdam based international law firm. Thereafter he worked as legal advisor and official secretary to the President and National Board of the Dutch Christian Democratic Party (CDA). For the last five years Matthijs served as senior policy advisor at the European People's Party (EPP), the largest party in the European Parliament, with a focus on international trade, aviation and the European budget. He speaks fluent Hebrew and holds an MA and BA Law degree from the University of Leiden in The Netherlands.
Arie Bensemhoun
Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-France
Dr Arié Bensemhoun has been the Chief Executive Officer of ELNET France since 2011. He is dentist by profession and made his career in the private sector as a consultant in communications, PR and international relations dealing with Middle East and strategic affairs. Dr Bensemhoun plays a crucial role in the French-Israeli relationship through his commitment both at the community and political levels.
Pierre Dassas
Chair, ELNET-France
Pierre Dassas is the Founder and President of ELNET France. He is
also President of Africa Alive Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and
administrator of the Hudson Institute (Washington, D.C). Since
1992, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of
the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF). He
is currently Chairman of the Executive Board of Dassas Advertising
& Public Affairs (Paris, France). In 1980 he created Dassas Communication and ICOM (New York, NY, USA), which has been ranked as the
world’s leading private advertising group since the 2000s. He was
previously Marketing Director of Colgate Palmolive in New York and
Paris, before joining Société Nouvelle d’Information et de Publicité
(SNIP) as Managing Director. Pierre Dassas is a graduate of the École
Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales and the Paris
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Carsten Ovens
Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-Germany
Carsten Ovens is the Executive Director of ELNET Germany since March 2019. With almost two decades of experience in politics, i.a. as a Member of the Hamburg State Parliament, he devoted his work to the German-Israeli relations with a focus on innovation and startups for many years. Beforehand, Carsten worked in business development and management consulting throughout Europe, as a lecturer on marketing and communications at several leading universities, and as a researcher on social media communication effects on politics and society.
Dr. Ulf Gartzke
Chair, ELNET-Germany
Carsten Ovens is the Executive Director of ELNET Germany since March 2019. With almost two decades of experience in politics, i.a. as a Member of the Hamburg State Parliament, he devoted his work to the German-Israeli relations with a focus on innovation and startups for many years. Beforehand, Carsten worked in business development and management consulting throughout Europe, as a lecturer on marketing and communications at several leading universities, and as a researcher on social media communication effects on politics and society.
Andrew Hochberg
Chair, ELNET Israel
Mr. Andrew Hochberg is a board member of Friends of ELNET and Chairman of the Board of ELNET-Israel. Mr. Hochberg is a leader in the Chicago Jewish community, serving as Chairman of the Board for the Jewish Federation of Chicago, and formerly chairing its Overall Planning and Allocation Committee and Government Affairs Committee. Mr. Hochberg led fundraising for the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund and served as a presidential appointee to the US Holocaust Memorial Committee. He is a founder and CEO of a real estate investment firm Next Realty. He holds BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and Juris Doctor from Northwestern University.
Dr. Emmanuel Navon
Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-Israel
Dr. Navon is a scholar and practitioner of diplomacy, and an expert on Europe-Israel relations. He lectures International Relations at TAU, is a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) and a foreign affairs analyst for i24news. He has taught at Reichman and Bar-Ilan Universities and the IDF’s National Security College. He is the author of several books, including The Star and the Scepter: A Diplomatic History of Israel, a reference book that has been translated in five languages. Previously, he was a consultant for ARTTIC, where he advised Israeli companies on building partnerships in Europe and obtaining R&D funding from the European Commission; CEO of BNIC, an organization that trained Israeli business leaders for public diplomacy in Europe; and founding partner of The Navon-Levy Group, which promoted Israeli agriculture and energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Navon graduated from Sciences-Po Paris and holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Hebrew University.
Maj. Gen. (res) Amos Yadlin
Chair of ELNET's Forum of Strategic Dialogue
Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin served for more than a decade as Director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Moreover, he served 41 years in the IDF, as a member of the General Staff, Deputy Commander of the Air Force, Commander of Combat Squadrons, and Commander of Air Force Bases. During his service in the Air Force, he crossed multiple enemy lines and participated as a combat pilot in the Yom Kippur War, in addition to taking part in attacks on nuclear reactors in Iraq. Formerly an IDF attaché to the United States, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yadlin served as Head of the Defense Intelligence Directorate from 2006-2010. In 2015, he was a candidate for defense minister of the “Zionist Union.”
Roberta Anati
Chief Executive Officer, ELNET-Italy
Roberta Anati has played a key role in building the economic relations between Israel and Italy since 1992, including opening the Italian Trade Commission and serving as its Deputy Director, as well as serving as Vice President of the Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerce. She has consulted to the Italian Embassy, as well as former Head of the Crisis Unity. Roberta is an award-winning business intelligence and innovation leader who leverages emerging technologies to drive innovation and business growth for several billion-dollar family companies. She is a sought-after thought leader on emerging technology, ecosystems and building cultures between countries.
Joan Ryan
Chief Executive Officer,
ELNET-UK
ELNET-UK
Following a successful career as a local councillor, Joan Ryan was elected as a UK Member of Parliament in 1997.
In 2002 Joan Ryan was promoted to Government Whip followed by a further promotion to become the Home Office Minister responsible for Immigration and Police Improvement.
In 2007 she was appointed as Special Representative to Cyprus by the Prime Minister and appointed to the Privy Council by Her Majesty the Queen. In 2015 Joan Ryan was appointed as Chair for the Labour Friends of Israel and in 2016 she was appointed by the Speaker to the House of Commons Speaker’s Panel, chairing public bills and parliamentary debates.
Victor Abrams
Chair, ELNET-UK
Victor is an expert in global taxation, with nearly 30 years advising the world’s leading companies as a Partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and then 6 years as a Special Advisor for KPMG.
He is a long- time supporter of Israel, first visiting the country in 1972 to travel and live and work on Givat Brenner kibbutz outside Tel Aviv . In the subsequent four decades he has returned frequently on business and for pleasure, and now splits his time between North London and Netanya alongside his wife Julia.
Victor is passionate about the power of international trade and education to improve prosperity, deliver peace, and foster understanding and excitement about Israel and its achievements , and is keen to help build better relationships between UK , European and Israeli decision makers and legislators.
Larry Hochberg
Chair, ELNET US
Mr. Larry Hochberg is an internationally renowned lay leader and philanthropist who served as National Chairman of the Friends of the IDF, National Officer of AIPAC, and held national leadership positions with the UJC, UJA, the Annual and Israel Emergency Campaigns of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund. Mr. Hochberg chaired the Advisory Committee of the American Jewish Committee’s Chicago chapter and served on the Dean’s Council of Northwestern University. He is is the founder, CEO and chairman of Sportmart Inc. acquired by Sports Authority.
Robert T. Flesh
Chair Elect, ELNET US
Robert T. (Tom) Flesh is the Chairman-elect of the Board of Friends of ELNET. He serves on the boards of several real estate companies and philanthropic organizations. Tom, a past President of Sinai Temple of Los Angeles, is a member of its Board of Directors. He is active in interfaith unity efforts, Jewish and Israel based institutions, and organizations focused on education and at risk youth. Tom has served on several community boards and commissions.
David F. Siegel
President, ELNET US
David F. Siegel is former Israeli diplomat involved in foreign policy formulation at the highest levels, including as Consul General to the Southwest United States. He served as the Chief of Staff to Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director of the Foreign Ministry’s International Organizations Department and Chief of Staff to three of Israel’s Ambassadors to the United States. He holds an MA in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a BA in political science from the University of Vermont.
Kenneth A. Ruby
Vice Chair, ELNET US
Kenneth A. Ruby is a former President of Stephen S. Wise Temple. He is also a member of the Hebrew Union College Board of Governors emeritus, and a board member and Chairman of the Construction Committee of the Skirball Cultural Center. He was responsible for building over 3500 apartment units while with R&B Development Company, which he helped found. After leaving R&B Development Co., he founded Ken Ruby Construction Co., a real estate development, contractor and management company.
Susan Wagner
Treasurer, ELNET US
Susan is CEO of the Wagner family office and managing principal of Jarnis United Properties, the family’s umbrella real estate investment company. Jarnis owns commercial real estate and its current portfolio is made up primarily of multi-family, medical/nursing facilities and self-storage. Susan is also President of the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Family Foundation. Outside of the family office, Susan Wagner serves on the board of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy – a premier Washington think tank on Middle East policy – and CEJP (Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy) which facilitates contributions to pro-peace and pro-Israel non-profits.
ELNET Professional Team & Leadership: ELNET boards worldwide.