Winners of the prestigious "Industry Prize" and the "Aryeh Shenkar z"l Life Achievements in Industry Prize" have been announced. Out of nine recipients, four are women and three are from Arab or Druze society, making it the most diverse group ever, according to the Manufacturers' Association of Israel spokesperson.
The "Industry" and "Life Achievements in Industry" prizes are awarded annually to manufacturers with distinguished achievements as well as being outstanding managers who have led their companies to groundbreaking achievements, innovations, new initiatives and long-term vision in the field of industrial development. The candidates are also judged by their contribution to the industry in general, community and country.
The Industry Prize was awarded to five recipients, and the life achievements in the industry to four. The two are both considered the most prestigious awards in the business sector in Israel. This year's prizes were also dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Manufacturers Association of Israel's founding.
The 2021 class is the most diverse in Israeli history.
The five recipients of the Industry Prize are:
- Udi Ben-Ori, CEO of Orbond Plaster Industry and Products Ltd.
- Julia Zohar, CEO of "Al Arza Tahini," which made headlines last year when some people called for a boycott after learning about Zohar's support for young LGBT Arabs
- Hannah Manor, founder and owner of Amicell - Amit Industries, which develops and markets mobile energy systems, including special batteries and high-quality charging systems
- Marie Libes, CEO and founder of Marie Electricity Engineering Ltd.
- Tzvi Marom, founder and CEO of BATM Advanced Communication Ltd., a leading provider of real-time technologies for networking solutions and bio-medical systems
The four recipients of the Aryeh Shenkar z"l Life Achievements in Industry Prize are:
- Gad Propper, chairman of many business entities: L'oreal Israel, the Building Materials & Consumer Goods Industries Association at The Manufacturers Association of Israel, the Wingate Academic College, the Federation of Israel Bi-National Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Israel-British Chamber of Commerce and the Israel Export Institute. In addition, he is a Board Member of Governors at several corporations and organizations such as the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv University, the Israel & EU Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Assaf Harofe Medical Center.
- Galia Lahav, world-renowned fashion designer and owner of the Galia Lahav Company.
- Saleh Ramel, CEO of AMG Production and Marketing Plastic Sheeting and Packaging Ltd., who is the first Israeli-Druze engineer and former Lt.-Col. in the IDF.
- Kenneth Levy, founder of Global KLA and KLA Israel.