Blackstone, an international investment firm led by billionaire investor Stephen Schwarzman, is set to open up its first office in Israel. Yifat Oron, who previously served as CEO of LeumiTech, has been tapped to be the Senior Managing Director and head of the firm’s new office in Tel Aviv. She will lead Blackstone’s growth and tech investments in Israel for Blackstone Growth (BXG), the firm’s growth equity business, and assist with other investing efforts across the firm.
Ambassador Dan Gillerman, former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations who has served as Blackstone’s Senior Advisor in Israel since 2013, will also be joining the new offices. He will become Chairman of Blackstone Israel, continuing to serve as an advisor to the firm and the Israel-based team.
Jon Korngold, Global Head of Blackstone Growth, said: “We are big believers in Israel, which is one of the most dynamic and innovative markets in the world. I’m delighted to welcome Yifat, an outstanding technology executive and leader, to help us bring the full power of the Blackstone platform and our resources to the country’s entrepreneurs.”
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Yifat Oron added: “I’m thrilled to join Blackstone and lead the firm’s growth investments in Israel. The breadth of what Blackstone can deliver to entrepreneurs in terms of capital and operating expertise is truly world-class. I’m excited to help fast-growing companies in Israel become global leaders through Blackstone’s resources and global network.”
Ambassador Dan Gillerman added: “I look forward to working with Yifat, a deeply respected tech and finance leader, to scale our efforts and support the most promising companies, entrepreneurs and technological innovation in Israel.
Prior to joining Blackstone, Yifat Oron was the CEO of LeumiTech, a leading Israeli technology banking platform, servicing and financing several thousand technology companies and supporting their global expansion via LeumiTech’s global footprint. She spent most of her career as a Partner at Vertex Venture Capital (an Israel-based venture fund), where she invested in and served as a board member of companies across the tech ecosystem.
Before joining Vertex, Ms. Oron was a technology investment banking associate at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York. Previously, she spent three years at the Directorate of R&D of the Israeli Ministry of Defense where she achieved the rank of Lieutenant in the Economics, Budget & Control Department.
Ms. Oron holds an M.B.A. from Tel-Aviv University and a B.Sc. in Economics and Management from the Technion, also known as the Israel Institute of Technology.