“We connect every sector in Israel from beginning to end, but also provide connectivity to the world and in the region. Everything starts and ends with communications,” says Tomer Raved, Executive Chairman of the Bezeq Group, Israel’s largest telecom company. “Israel is now ranked seventh in the world in terms of average broadband speed. We empower Startup Nation and Scale-up Nation, and all of these buzzwords you hear. It would not exist without the telecom infrastructure.”
70% of the country is connected to fiber, Raved notes, with half of that on Bezeq’s network. “Everything in this market, including tech, defense, government, and the business community, starts and ends with communication infrastructure.”
Raved received a dual degree in law and economics from Tel Aviv University and met his wife, who was also studying law, during his studies. After spending almost a decade in the US, they returned to Israel with their children. “We were always very connected to Israel, and our family and friends are all here,” he explains. “I think that having the combination of exposure to global perspectives is important, but I see my future and my family’s future in Israel.”
Recalling his years as a student at Tel Aviv University, Raved observes, “I found myself as a student. I participated in school and exams, but invested a great deal in social life and networking. Networking is key to everything I do today. It improves your ability as a professional and as a human being. You know more people, and you have more impact. Both in law school and the economics department, I was able to integrate academic studies and social studies. I spent a lot of time on campus, with the student organization and the law student union, and created a lot of new initiatives.”
Raved says that he is still in touch with some of his professors and turns to them for advice. He adds that retaining connections with fellow alumni is significant. “I used the small alumni network that existed 20 years ago, but it was key to how I evolved as a professional and to my success. We really started with that.”
About Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization :
Tel Aviv University has 220,000 alumni who are among the leading figures in Israel, holding key positions in the legal field, the high-tech industry, hospitals, the media, education, culture and academia.
More than half of our alumni are actively involved in the Aviv University Alumni Organization.
The organization's mission is to create an influential community working towards a better world. We take great pride in our alumni for their efforts in achieving this goal and their significant contributions to the community, the country, and the world at large - impacting our future and driving global change.
Tel Aviv University Alumni Community and the TAU Aurion Community - TAU Global Leadership Community – A World Changing Community.
This article was written in cooperation with Tel Aviv University.