Wendy Singer has served as Executive Director of Start-Up Nation Central since its founding in 2013. She worked with US-based funders to build the infrastructure and professional team in Israel, and to launch its activities – connecting Israel’s innovation ecosystem with government and business leaders around the world. Today she heads SNC’s Jerusalem operation.

Before joining SNC, Singer concluded a 23-year career at AIPAC. She was Director of AIPAC's Israel Office for sixteen years. There she maintained relationships with Israeli government leaders, and members of the opposition, in addition to US diplomats, and Palestinian officials. Prior to emigrating to Israel, Singer served as a registered AIPAC lobbyist on Capitol Hill, where she was the lead contact for dozens of House Members and Senators. She also served for five years as a staff aide for three Members of Congress, focusing on foreign policy issues.

Promote international business growth through the winning combination of interpersonal relationship building, professional excellence, strategic "out of the box" thinking and implementation.

2018 – present

Continental

Director, head of Israeli operations

Director at the innovation and startup arm of Continental–Mobility, Industry 4.0 and smart materials

• Heading the Israeli operations (technology scouting, implementation and leading commercial discussions)
• Leading innovation and strategic cooperation between startups and various business units of the organization worldwide
• Leading innovation activities with the tire division and other key BUs on a global scale 
• Supporting strategic investments

2017 – 2018 Delphi

Country manager Israel

Heading the Israeli operations of Delphi - one of the largest Tier1 in the automotive sector.            

2016 – 2017

Zhongzhi Capital Vice president – Israel local office

ZZ Capital is a global private equity fund and one of the leading investment managers in China with more than $250b assets under management, focusing on acquisition and investment in industry leading enterprises and listed companies. 

• Responsible for sourcing and execution of Israeli-based acquisition targets;
• Handling the relationship with Chinese portfolio companies;

2011 – 2016

Colmobil Group  Pricing and Import Director and Executive Economist

Colmobil is Israel’s leading motor-vehicle importer and distributor, representing Mercedes Benz, Smart, Mitsubishi and Hyundai, commanding over 20% of the Israeli car market.

Leading negotiations and ongoing relationships with manufactures in Japan and Europe;

• Managing the import department and financial departments of the group;
• Budget management and control of the different divisions of the group;
• Responsible for the import, shipping and homologation of the Mitsubishi division;
• Pricing and characterizing new models;
• Full involvement in the policy making and implementation of marketing and sales processes.
• Examining new opportunities and markets as part of the business development of the group;
• Managing the counter trade of the group;

I was a key factor in the turnaround of the Mitsubishi brand in Israel (from 18th place to 5th place representing an increase in sales from 2,500 to over 16,000 vehicles).

2007 – 2011

Beny Steinmetz Group Senior Analyst – Business Development and Finance

Analyzing new investment opportunities, including the Real Estate field (acquisition of yielding assets, land plots for development, real estate companies and debt);

• Locating business opportunities and business development, establishing and maintaining relationship with local partners;
• Part of the Investment-transactions team – negotiating basic investment terms and reaching a definitive agreement;
• Negotiation and management of ongoing relationships with financing institutions, including: restructuring of the company’s debt; debt settlement with the bondholders; and rethinking the operational strategy;
• Ongoing valuation of the performance of the group’s international offices.

2004 –  2007

Deloitte – Brightman Almagor Senior Consultant - Financial Advisory Services Group

One of Israel’s leading professional services firms, which provides a wide range of world-class audit, tax, consulting, financial advisory and trust services

• Strategic and financial consulting to various companies & trading on the Israeli, US and European capital markets;
• Due Diligence and M&A transactions for various companies;
• Team leader in Initial public offerings (IPO's);
• Developed financial models for various companies, including BOT and company valuations
• Assisted in and managed company valuations
• Carried out business plans and business development
• Initiated market analysis and transaction services;

Education

2007 – 2009  Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya

Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA)

2000 – 2003  Tel Aviv University

Double B.A. in Economics and Political Science

Israel Defense Forces

1995- 1998  Paratroopers - Special Forces

Language Proficiency- English/Hebrew (both mother tongues)

Yinnon Dolev is the CEO of Sompo’s Digital Lab in Tel Aviv. His group is responsible for partnering and investing in innovative startups in areas such as Insurtech, Digital Health, Smart mobility, Cyber security and more. Prior to that, he founded and managed the startups partnerships program by General Electric (GE) Digital in Israel, the first of its kind dedicated to the industrial internet. In this role Yinnon was responsible for creating partnerships with 26 Israeli software companies, 3 capital investments and the acquisition of IQP, a Japanese-Israeli startup. Yinnon spent 13 years at GE, where he was a graduate of the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program and held various management positions in strategic marketing, product management & business development in the US and in Israel. Prior to joining GE Yinnon was a software engineer and he is also a retired Major in the Israeli Defense Forces. Yinnon holds a BA in Computer Science from the Interdisciplinary Center in Israel an MBA from Cornell University.

Yuval Engelstein is the Industry 4.0 sector lead and research analyst at Start-Up Nation Central, responsible for researching Israeli innovation and world market activity relating to the strategic development of the Industry 4.0 and Smart Mobility industries. In close and continuous contact with innovators and entrepreneurs of these industries, Mr. Engelstein supplies the organization with knowledge and insights regarding both the technologies and the corporate or socio-economic challenges they could help to alleviate. Previously, Mr. Engelstein served as an analyst in the Research Divisions of the Central Bank of Israel, and of the Ministry of Transport. He holds a Master’s Degree in Financial Economics and a BA in Philosophy, Political Science and Economy, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Construction has been in Zachi’s blood before being born growing up in an engineering family, and building upon this is 20+ years of experience in the industry. Hands on experience ranging from being a licensed civil engineering, to overseeing construction software sales, to being a head of his time in developing parking algorithems, and over the past several years  making Tel-Aviv the epicenter of Construction Technology with ConTech. 

Zachi holds a B.S in Civil engineering from the Technion (Haifa) and M.S in Geography (GIS program) from TAU (Tel Aviv University)

Zvika is an expert in developing technologies and growth engines, a mentor, a tech entrepreneur, and a senior consultant to large manufacturing companies, high-tech, and public sectors. For the past 30 years, he has held key positions in the high-tech industry, including VP of Marketing at ECI and VP of Innovation and Strategy at Huawei. He also co-founded Seabridge, which was later acquired by Nokia Siemens. Zvika is the founder and owner of C-YourVision - a company specializing in implementing corporate innovation and a consultant for the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and TechFactory program  - the two flagship programs for the manufacturing industry. He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Tel Aviv University and an Executive MBA from Kellogg-Recanati.