Former ‘Post’ staffer Groner named economic attaché to US

One-time economics reporter first nonpolitical appointee to the position.

By HERB KEINON
Eli Groner 311 (photo credit: Sharona Mazalian)
Eli Groner 311
(photo credit: Sharona Mazalian)
The cabinet on Sunday approved the appointment of Eli Groner, a former economics reporter for The Jerusalem Post, as Israel’s economic attaché in Washington, considered the country’s top economic position abroad.
Groner, 40, is the first nonpolitical appointee to the position, and was selected by a four-man selection committee that included representatives from the Treasury, the Foreign Ministry, Bank of Israel and academia.
The American-born Groner, 40, immigrated with his family when he was 15 from Binghamton, New York. He served in the paratroops, where he was the radioman for Moshe Ya’alon.
After military service, Groner studied political science at Bar- Ilan University, and worked in the spokesman’s office at the Jerusalem municipality.
From there he came to the Post for five years, where he first covered Israeli basketball and worked in Jerusalem, becoming the editor of the local supplement for a short while, before moving over to the business desk where he was a reporter, and then the Internet site where he was responsible for economic coverage.
Groner left the Post to study for an MBA at New York University, and from there worked for two years in New York for McKinsey and Company.
In 2005 he moved to McKinsey’s Tel Aviv office, working with some of the leading firms in Israel, the US and Europe.
For the last two years he has worked as senior adviser to Tnuva’s chairwoman, Zahavit Cohen. Groner is expected to take up his job in the Fall, replacing Asaf Vitman.