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10 Most Powerful Israeli Bankers

The banking system in Israel is sophisticated and vibrant featuring five major domestic banks, and smaller banks while others are the subsidiaries of the major banks and several foreign banks. Additionally, the country’s banking system is very resilient and stable with a high level of liquidity that allows the implementation of policies that will ensure economic growth.

Having a fully integrated banking system means that there will be individuals who are part of the decision-making process when policies in the banking sector are being enacted and implemented. Therefore, this article will look at the ten most powerful bankers in Israel’s banking atmosphere.

1. Prof. Amir Yaron

Being the governor of the Central Bank of Israel makes him one of the most powerful bankers in Israel. Prof. Yaron was appointed by the president to be the Governor in 2019. He is also a distinguished expert in monetary economics, finance, macroeconomics and financial economics. Yaron got his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Tel Aviv University and then he proceeded to do another master’s degree and a PhD at the University of Chicago.

Having served in several executive positions in both the academic and financial world, the professor is knowledgeable about the issues that affect the banking sector and how they can be solved. Furthermore, his publication was reviewed by the Nobel Prize Scientific Committee. This made him win the Stephen Ross Award in 2019.

2. Dov Kotler

He serves as the chief executive officer and president of Bank Hapoalim. He has been in this position since October 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and an MBA from Tel Aviv University. Before joining the bank, Dov Kotler worked at a crowdfunding entity as the Partner and Chairman. He was also the Chief Executive Officer of various organisations including Isracard, CAL Ltd, Prizma Ltd and the Union Bank of Israel. His experience working in many companies gives him the capabilities to lead the bank well.

3. Hanan Fridman

The Israeli banker is the president and chief executive officer of Bank Leumi. The bank is one of the leading financial institutions in the country and also one of the best in the Middle East. He had his education at Bar-Ilan University. He has worked for the bank for over five years as the Chief Legal Counsel and as the head of Strategy, Innovation and Transformation. His expertise working with the bank makes him one of the most influential people in the banking sector as he successfully implemented initiatives like the Strum Law and the sale of the Leumi Card.

4. Uri Levin

Uri Levin

The businessman is the chief executive officer of Israel Discount Bank. He first served in the Israeli Air Force before venturing into business. He has a bachelor’s degree in science from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from London Business School.

After finishing his studies, he worked for McKinsey and Company before being recruited by Bank Hapoalim as their chief of staff. He then became the CEO of ISP group which is a financial service firm founded in Switzerland. He joined the discount bank in 2014 and was named the CEO in 2017.

5. Moshe Larry

He was appointed as the head of the company in 2020. Prior to his appointment, Moshe was working with the bank and had many capabilities and experiences that had greatly improved the bank and ensured its growth. He worked as the Chief Risk Officer, Director of planning, Operations and Client Asset Division and as the Vice President.

Therefore, his experience in various sectors of the banking sector makes him a powerhouse as he will ensure that the company is successful because he understands the specifics of most departments.

6. Smadar Barner-Tsadik

She is the chief executive officer of the First International Bank of Israel (FIBI) and also an executive member at FIBI Holdings. Prior to her appointment, she was the chairman of FIBI Bank Schweiz. Smadar got her undergraduate degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master’s in business administration from the same university.

Being one of the few women in high-level positions in the banking sector makes her one of the most powerful bankers in that she is instrumental in shaping public opinion and motivating other women to work towards getting such positions.

7. Yair Kaplan

Yair was recently appointed as the chief executive officer of the Bank of Jerusalem. He has more than 25 years of experience in the real estate and finance sector. This means that he is proficient in managing big and complex organisations.

He has also worked with international companies that equipped him with global experience and an excellent understanding of good investments.

8. Michael Israel

He is the Chief Executive Officer and the Head of Global Banking in Israel since 2013. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and an MBA in Finance from Tel Aviv University. Additionally, he has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry which makes him a key player in the decision-making process.

Michael worked as the Managing Executive for Poalim Capital Markets from 1997 to 2001 before joining HSBC as the head of investment banking for five years. He was then promoted to the head of global banking coverage from 2006 until 2012.

9. Neil Corney

Corney was nominated as the Citi Country Officer for Citibank in 2013. He joined Citibank in 2004 as Country Treasurer and rose in rank to be the managing director and head of FICC in 2008. Before assuming this role, he worked as the head of treasury in Bank Hapoalim. Therefore, his experience working for the largest bank in Israel coupled with heading HSBC Israel which is a multinational organisation makes him one of the most powerful bankers in Israel.

10. Joseph Wolf

The veteran banker is the chief executive of Credit Suisse-Israel. Joseph was appointed for the position in January 2022. Having worked for Barclays Bank for 14 years as the deputy director of US equity research, he has vast experience that will impact the banking industry.