OU Investment & Finance Society

Oxford Investment Club, ManSoc, OUIFS, Oxford Entrepreneurs, E&M Society and the Oxford Israeli Cultural Society present: The Pioneers of Today: Israeli Business & Entrepreneurship Thursday May 1st (Week 2) 8 - 10pm, Said Business School

"Israel is like a bit of Silicon Valley." (Bill Gates)

While 60 years ago the challenge for Israel was to build a state from scratch, today it is an economic one and its pioneers are its entrepreneurs, scientists and businesspeople. With venture capital firms investment growing by 8.5% ($1.76 billion, in 2007), Israel has the second highest number of start-ups outside Silicon Valley and is considered a vital "incubator" for new technology companies to form before they are taken over by larger conglomerates.

This talk by two of Israel's most successful businessmen will look at their own secrets of success and address what entrepreneurs in other countries may learn from the examples of their Israeli counterparts.

Dr. Abe Peled set up and launched Israel's first Internet Service Provider, after which he became Chairman and CEO of NDS Group. Its clients include DirecTV, BSkyB, CanalSat and SkyItalia, and during his tenure, he has expanded the company 15-fold bringing it to its current position of holding 35% of the global market for digital pay-TV.

Zeev Holtzman is the Founder and Chairman of Giza Venture Capital. Giza was founded in 1992 and is one of the pioneer funds in Israel. It manages over $500 million, currently raising its 5th fund.

Chairperson: Colin Green was Commercial Director and Company Secretary of BT Group plc, Chairman of BT Spain and Senior Board member of ECI Telecom, one of Israeli's largest Hi-Tech global companies. He is currently Chairman of the Hermes Group Pension Scheme, Green Aid, Shalom Nursery Ltd, a Trustee of Nightingale House and a voluntary adviser for the Citizen's Advice Bureau.

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