Ofra Strauss Explained

Ofra Strauss
Birth Date:22 August 1960
Birth Place:Nahariya, Israel
Occupation:Chairperson of Strauss Group
Years Active:2001–present
Children:4
Parents:Michael Strauss
Spouse:

    Ofra Yasmin Strauss (Hebrew: עפרה יסמין שטראוס; born 22 August 1960) is an Israeli business magnate and industrialist. She is the Chairperson of Israeli food corporation Strauss Group which is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange,[1] and the second largest consumer food manufacturer in Israel.[2] [3] She was appointed to the position of chairperson in 2001, after being groomed for the job, following the retirement of her late father Michael Strauss who had continued involvement in the firm in various capacities following his formal retirement and until his death in 2020.

    Early life

    Strauss was born in Nahariya, Israel. The eldest of three children of Ella (born 1935 in Yugoslavia, died in 1985), a nurse and holocaust survivor, and Michael, chairperson of Strauss Group, the son of the founders Hilda and Dr. Richard Strauss. However, her parents divorced in 1981.

    Strauss has a younger sister Irit (former advertiser and current business partner of brother) and a younger brother Adi, a businessman.[4]

    Strauss grew up in the family business. Her father Michael said in an interview[5] that as an 11-year-old girl, she would join his night delivery route, during which she used to help carrying 20-kg containers of dairy products, listen to his business talks and follow carefully how many cartons were delivered and registered. She filled a number of roles in the company through the years.

    She graduated in 1987 from Tel Aviv University Law School. As a student, she met Dan Lahat, the son of then Tel Aviv mayor Shlomo Lahat and married him.[6] They later divorced in 2001.

    Business career

    During 1987–1989, she worked in the marketing department of the Estée Lauder Companies Inc. in New York City, the American cosmetics line. During this time, she led a marketing campaign for the company in Japan.

    In 1989, upon Strauss' return to Israel, she filled a number of roles in the family business and was groomed to succeed her father Michael as chairperson. She was appointed Marketing director of the ice cream division and then head of the food division in the corporation. In 1993 Strauss was nominated director general of the Strauss salads company.[7] During this time the Strauss company grew, led by her father, via a series of major acquisitions in the Israeli food business most notably Elite in 1996, following which she was appointed as CEO of Elite. In 2001, following the formal retirement of her father, she was appointed chairperson.

    From 2002 to 2004, Strauss managed the integration and merger of Elite[8] into the Strauss group, following the Elite acquisition in 1996 which left Elite as a separate company with common controlling ownership. In 2007–2008 Elite was dropped from the company title (which was Strauss-Elite) and company-wide branding, remaining a chocolate and coffee brand.[9] [10]

    Strauss has developed strategic partnerships[11] with Danone, PepsiCo, Haier, São Miguel[12] and Virgin, for the sale of dairy, coffee, water, dips and spreads. The partnership with PepsiCo also created the US-based Sabra Dipping Company, since 2009 the largest hummus manufacturer worldwide.

    Since 2011, Strauss has been Chair of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce. Strauss' field of food technology is a significant issue in the Chamber's work.[13] [14] [15]

    Philanthropic activities

    Awards and recognition

    Personal life

    Strauss is a mother of four: Michaela, a photographer; Tom, co-founder of design start-up Tailor Brands;[38] [39] and Jasmine[40] are her three children from her first marriage to Dan Lahat.[41] Daniel is her daughter from her second marriage to Adi Keizman.[42] [43]

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Strauss Group. Strauss Group. 2 May 2017.
    2. מעלות מאשררת את דירוג AA+ ואת התחזית השלילית לשטראוס. TheMarker. 2 May 2017. גביזון . יורם .
    3. Web site: שטראוס גייסה 200 מיליון שקל בהנפקה פרטית של מניות למוסדיים. 4 April 2017. calcalist.co.il. 2 May 2017. 24 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171024224358/https://secure.calcalist.co.il/markets/articles/0,7340,L-3710976,00.html. dead.
    4. Web site: השטראוסים מחפשים קונה למרבית המסעדות של עדי'ס לייף סטייל. 26 May 2015. calcalist.co.il. 2 May 2017.
    5. News: Spector, Peled . Dana, Asafa . June 22, 2011 . שומרת על השמנת . Yedioth Aharonoth "7 Yamim" . Israel.
    6. Web site: עפרה שטראוס - נשים עובדות. Oct 18, 2020.
    7. Web site: Ofra's World . www.campdenfb.com. 2 May 2017.
    8. News: Strauss, Elite Sign Merger Agreement. Ora. Coren. 1 January 2004. 2 May 2017. Haaretz.
    9. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3358171,00.html Strauss-Elite changing name to Strauss (Hebrew)
    10. https://www.calcalist.co.il/marketing/articles/0,7340,L-3096165,00.html New Branding for Strauss including new Elite logo (Hebrew)
    11. Web site: Danone, Strauss Partners. strauss-group.com. 9 June 2013. 2 May 2017.
    12. Web site: São Miguel, Strauss Partners. strauss-group.com. 11 July 2013. 2 May 2017.
    13. Web site: The Israel-America Chamber of Commerce - Israeli Food-Tech Delegation to the U.S. - March 2017. amcham. www.amcham.co.il. 3 May 2017.
    14. Web site: Launching the Strauss FoodTech Incubator The Kitchen . strauss-group.com. July 2015 . 3 May 2017.
    15. Web site: Ofra Strauss. DLD Tel Aviv 2013. 3 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160918130417/http://dldtelaviv.evolero.com/2013/profile/2510/ofra-strauss. 18 September 2016. dead.
    16. Web site: The 2016 Knesset Speakers Quality of Life Prize - Jasmine. jasmine.org.il. 2 May 2017. 20 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180920234554/http://jasmine.org.il/en/the-2016-knesset-speakers-quality-of-life-prize/. dead.
    17. מדד קטליסט ישראל: אילו חברות הנסחרות במדד ת"א 100 הן השוויוניות ביותר?. TheMarker. 2 May 2017.
    18. Web site: שדולת הנשים - לינקים מומלצים . 2021-12-16 . 2016-08-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160811061848/http://www.iwn.org.il/pages/%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%9D . dead .
    19. Web site: דוח קטליסט 2014: הפתעה לא נעימה. Mar 6, 2014. Oct 18, 2020.
    20. http://www.strauss-group.co.il/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/דוח-קטליסט-2013-עברית-סופי.pdf
    21. Web site: International Council on Women's Business Leadership. giwps.georgetown.edu. 2 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20141226211327/http://giwps.georgetown.edu/ICWBL. 26 December 2014. dead.
    22. Web site: Summary of Discussions of January 24, 2012 International Council on Women's Business Leadership. state.gov. 2 May 2017.
    23. Web site: גברת עפרה שטראוס, ישראל | ועידת הנשיא 2013 . 2022-07-14 . 2015-11-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151122205322/http://2013.presidentconf.org.il/speaker/%d7%92%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%aa-%d7%a2%d7%a4%d7%a8%d7%94-%d7%a9%d7%98%d7%a8%d7%90%d7%95%d7%a1-%d7%99%d7%a9%d7%a8%d7%90%d7%9c/ . dead .
    24. Web site: Stocks. Bloomberg.com. 2 May 2017.
    25. Web site: חלוקת מלגות לימודים I קבוצת שטראוס. strauss-group.co.il. 2 May 2017.
    26. Web site: About . www.heseg.com . 2 May 2017.
    27. http://taubcenter.org.il/wp-content/files_mf/sept2011.pdf
    28. News: המועצה הציבורית של פרויקט "בבית ביחד". ynet. 11 July 2005. 2 May 2017. Ynet.
    29. Web site: עפרה שטראוס, יו"ר מועצת המנהלים, קבוצת שטראוס-עלית. www.herzliyaconference.org. 2 May 2017.
    30. Web site: קרן אמץ לוחם תעניק מלגות בהיקף של 10 מיליון שקל. 29 August 2001. 2 May 2017. Ynet.
    31. News: "אמץ לוחם" והענק לו מילגה - גלובס. Globes. 18 April 2001 . 2 May 2017. דברת . זהבה .
    32. Web site: ההיסטוריה של מעלה. מעלה. Oct 18, 2020.
    33. Web site: מקבלי פרס תעשייה. www.industry.org.il. 2 May 2017.
    34. Web site: Ofra Strauss. DLD Conference. 2 May 2017.
    35. Web site: Israel's top 10 female executives. israel21c.org. 4 March 2012 . 2 May 2017.
    36. Web site: International Power 50 Ofra Strauss (46) . archive.fortune.com. 2 May 2017.
    37. News: Food firm with a big appetite. Jewish Chronicle. October 7, 2010.
    38. News: The business guru: Ofra Strauss. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221211231251/https://www.ft.com/content/bc140536-383a-11e4-a687-00144feabdc0. 11 December 2022. subscription. live. Financial Times. 18 September 2014. 2 May 2017. Mooney. Attracta.
    39. Web site: In Design We Trust Interview With Tom Lahat from Tailor Brands. 25 October 2016. inspr.co. 2 May 2017.
    40. Web site: מי היורשת שסיימה קורס קצינים בהצטיינות? - מחלקה ראשונה. 25 November 2015. mako.co.il. 2 May 2017.
    41. http://www.nrg.co.il/online/archive/ART/106/446.html
    42. Web site: עדי קייזמן ועפרה שטראוס חגגו בת מצווה לבתם. 12 February 2017. mako.co.il. 2 May 2017.
    43. https://web.archive.org/web/20191204100307/https://www.zdf.de/politik/frontal-21/goldgrube-wohnungsnot-100.html Goldgrube Wohnungsnot Profite mit rabiaten Methoden