Itschak Shrem

A prominent figure in the Israeli financial and industrial community and a proponent of accessible, private higher education, Itschak Shrem demonstrated his belief in the mission of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya by establishing the Shrem, Fudim, Kelner Chair in Finance with his colleagues Avigdor Kelner and Yair Fudim.

Itschak Shrem, who began his business career in a series of senior positions at Clal Industries and Investments, is the chairman and founder of Shrem, Fudim, Kelner and Company, one of Israel's largest investment firms, with extensive, diverse holdings that demonstrate his ability to master the intricacies of a wide range of fields.

His talent for accurately identifying and forecasting market trends, and rising to the challenges they present, has earned him a position at the forefront of the Israeli financial community for over three decades. A pioneer of venture capital in Israel, in 1993, he founded Polaris (today called Pitango), which has become one of Israel's most successful venture capital funds.

A Zionist committed to advancing Israeli society, Itschak Shrem serves on the boards of a number of public institutions, including the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

His tendency to look toward the future and appreciation of the need for private institutions of higher education unfettered by bureaucracy led him to join the Reichman University leadership by serving on Reichman University Board of Directors and as chairman of the board of the Israel Friends of Reichman University. Determined to open the doors of higher education to students from disadvantaged areas, he worked energetically to establish the Israel Friends Scholarship Fund. His dedication and foresight make him the guiding spirit of the Israel Friends.

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to higher education and the Israeli financial industry, the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish People, and the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Itschak Shrem is hereby named an honorary fellow of the decade on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.