Ofra Strauss | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 22 August 1960 Nahariya, Israel |
| Occupation | Chairperson of Strauss Group |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouses | Dan Lahat
(m. 1987; div. 2001)Adi Keizman
(m. 2005; div. 2010) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent | Michael Strauss |
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 has continued involvement in the firm in various capacities following his formal retirement.
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.
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]
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]
