Larry Hochberg
ELNET Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus
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.
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.
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.
Larry Hochberg
Chair, ELNET EU & NATO
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hans Thomas Kessler
Chair, ELNET-Germany
Hans Thomas Kessler is a commercial lawyer specializing in the real estate transactions and finance, as well as infrastructure projects. He has advised numerous real estate investors, owners, financial institutions, construction and engineering firms. Mr. Kessler has worked for several leading International law firms. He studied law and political science at the Universities of Frankfurt, Lausanne, Geneva and Strasbourg, earned the LL.M. at the London School of Economics and Political Science and was a Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
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.
Sam Pinto
Chairman, ELNET-Israel
After a successful career in the banking sector across France, Asia, and the USA—primarily with the Edmond de Rothschild Group—Sam Pinto made aliyah to Israel in 2009. Following his move, Pinto dedicated himself to philanthropic efforts, including Baït Ham, which provides support to youngsters from poor families, and Kiah-Alliance, the Israeli branch of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. He also supports the Franco-Israeli high school of Mikve Israel and Agudat Sabah, an organization that promotes educational activities in remote Israeli towns.
Zohar Palti
Chair, Forum of Strategic Dialogue, ELNET-Israel
Zohar Palti, the Andrew Viterbi Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, retired from government service in 2022 after four decades in some of the most sensitive positions in Israel’s national security establishment. Among his positions, he served as director of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau at Israel's Ministry of Defense, where his responsibilities included conducting Israel’s defense ties with strategic partners around the world and directing defense and security relationships with foreign countries.
Prior to that, he led the Mossad Intelligence Directorate (at the rank equivalent to major general) and was the counterterrorism chief of the organization. Before joining the Mossad, Palti served for twenty-five years in the IDF Intelligence Corps. In addition to his roles in Israeli military and intelligence, he held several research positions, including senior research fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center (2016-7) and as a visiting military fellow with The Washington Institute in 2004.
In a rare honor for a foreign official, upon his retirement Palti was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, in recognition of “his major contribution to bolstering U.S.-Israel strategic defense relations.”
In addition to his Institute fellowship, Palti is member of the Advisory Board of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). He is also a consultant for private U.S. companies.
Palti holds a BA and an Executive MA in Middle Eastern studies from Tel Aviv University, with distinction. He is a graduate of the U.S. National Defense University's advanced management program.
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.
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.
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.
Robert T. Flesh
Chair, ELNET US
Robert T. (Tom) Flesh is the Chair of the Board of ELNET US. 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.
Larry Hochberg
Chair Emeritus, 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.
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.
Andrew Hochberg
Vice Chair, ELNET US
Mr. Andrew Hochberg is Vice Chair of ELNET US 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.
Carole Mostow
Secretary, ELNET US
Carole Mostow is the Director of the Hochberg Family Foundation and Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Next Realty. Previously, she was the VP of Accounting for a closely held corporation and served for many years as Associate Professionalism Counsel to the American Bar Association. She is active in the Chicago Jewish Community, including as a member of the Board of Directors for StandWithUs Midwest and as Secretary to the Friends of ELNET. She holds a JD and a BA from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.
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.