1. Background

The Israeli Business Forum (IBF) is a non-profit initiative that relies mainly on volunteers from the community. IBF caters to three goals :

(1) to encourage business ties, support, and discussions among Israeli-Canadian professionals.

(2) to strengthen the ties between Israeli-Canadian professionals and the general Canadian business community. (3) to utilize the Israeli-Canadian community to promote the trade between Canada and Israel.

To achieve these goals the IBF works in full cooperation with the Canada-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Israeli Forum in Canada.

2. Purpose

Since its June 2006 inception, IBF has engaged in ‘Pre-Launch' activities that included, among other things: learning from the experience of other Israeli business forums and chambers of commerce, defining a mission statement and operational plan, conducting several events to raise awareness, and establishing formal relationships with a myriad of organizations in Canada and Israel. 

On May 2007 IBF shifted to ‘Launch' mode - it publicized a 20M$ Venture Capital initiative that it had put in place in order to fund successful Israel-Canadian ventures, and started recruiting volunteers and forming committees. To date, IBF has successfully recruited more than 70 active volunteers and hundreds of registered members.

 

3. Mission Statement

The Mission of the Israeli Business Forum is to achieve the following three goals:

• To encourage business ties and discussions among Israeli-Canadian professionals

• To strengthen the ties between Israeli-Canadian professionals and the general Canadian business community

• To promote trade between Canada and Israel

Members of IBF will not only have an important role in promoting the trade between Canada and Israel, but will also be able to enjoy valuable business opportunities that arise from that, both with Israeli companies and with Canadian companies.

 

4. Organizational Structure

The Israeli Business Forum will work in close cooperation with the CICC and Israeli Forum to enhance the synergy among the organizations. To ensure the communication and cooperation with CICC and Forum representative of the two organizations will participate in the IBF's Board of Governors and Executive Committee.

The Board of Governors of IBF is its highest authority and is in charge of fulfilling IBF's main goals, inline with the goals of Chamber and CICC. The Board currently consists of 5 individuals: Ron Yekutiel (IBF Founder and Chairman, and Executive VP of CICC), Gil Blutrich (Forum Chairman), Mark Gold (Forum Vice-Chairman), Yuval Deutsch and Vered Eyal.

IBF's ongoing operations are streamlined by the IBF Executive Committee, a group of volunteers that convene monthly and are in the heart of the organization's strategic planning and execution.

The Stirring Committee consists of individuals representing the industry/profession committees, as well as representatives of supportive committees (ex. website, database, and content).