Jasmine news

IZUN’s Third Cycle Takes Off- Influential Female Directors

A winning team of 20 Jewish and Arab women opened “IZUN 3” within which they will be trained for the position of directors in leading companies and corporations, thus becoming a part of the Female Leadership Core the Jasmine is creating in Israel

Starting off with a festive opening day at the Rupin Academic Center in Israel, the third cycle of IZUN (Balance) opened early this June. IZUN is a unique program run by Jasmine for creating a female financial leadership which participates in and leads the business and public sectors. The program commenced with 20 women (out of 70 candidates) all of whom are businesswomen with a rich record of senior managerial positions and an ambition to succeed.

The third IZUN team was put together following a wide campaign run by Jasmine, aiming to recruit women who are leaders and have a high potential to join the female financial leadership core that the organization is creating in Israel. Among the women accepted are- a chemistry PhD, a college director, a social and financial development manager, a research and evaluation consultant for an international project, a teacher and researcher at the Institute for Immigration and Social Integration, alongside financial consultants, women business owners of various areas and more.

The campaign was viewed by leading corporations, businesses and organizations in Israel, in various sectors and was broadcasted in Hebrew and in Arabic- in order to reach all the possible audiences. 5 videos were released. The presenters- Orit Stav and accountant Regina Unger- are both a director in either a governmental or public company and a senior mentor in the IZUN program. IZUN graduates were presented and even Kiram Baloum, Jasmines own director and founder,  joined the campaign and the candidate selection process saying: “women are a minority in the government and in companies and our aim is to integrate women into the decision making process and enable them to influence the decision makers and be a part of them. This is why we work to integrate women into key influential positions and to balance their numbers there.” Baloum added to the participants: “Each one here must give herself the gift of holding a senior position. The program gives tools and knowledge, even hand in hand support, and leads you to the door of opportunity to lead other women in business”.

The campaign, run by Jasmine’s professional team member, Orly Rudway, was seen by thousands of candidates, and attracted attention and responses, while leading companies also joined in the success of recruiting and running the program. Among others the Electric Company, who Jasmine asked to join, being a governmental company that has integrated 4 women directors from various sectors in the company’s board. Super-Sona joined the support of the program- an organization that works “to manifest women in influential cross-roads fitting their ratio in society”, founded and run by Hanah Redo, a social entrepreneur. As part of the cooperation, the IZUN participants will each receive a profile at Super-Sona, funded by Jasmine. Another collaboration that is part of this program is with Rupin Academic Center that took upon itself to host the program on its campus, with the blessing of Rupin’s head, Prof. Galia Tsabar.

During the opening festivities, Elinor Tzur, Jasmine’s project Manager, said that: “This is an important and extensive program. We have an interesting and challenging group of participants, while behind us we have already two cycles of successful women, part of whom became mentors for the women in IZUN’s current cycle.”

Attorney Shoham-Hildesheimer, IZUN’s academic coordinator and main instructor, who has been a consultant for a directorate and a board member in a leading governmental company for the past decade, says: “I am joyed to be a part of Jasmine’s team, as part of my belief in Jasmine’s vision and enterprise. IZUN’s percentage of dropouts stands at 0% to this date, all the women have successfully graduated and 38% of the graduates are now presiding as directors in private and public companies.” She adds: “IZUN exposes the participants to wide managerial methods and provides them with tools that will assist them in making correct decisions, and implementing initiatives for managing and developing their company, using high level skills and professional considerations. IZUN provides wide range knowledge and in depth understanding of the business, finance and litigation worlds, all essential for board members in order to develop their company’s business strategy”.

The program was developed by Debbie Kupman Gabay, Rupin Academic Center’s Manager of Social Involvement, who pointed out the importance of placing women in key-positions and described Rupin’s way of promoting this need. In the introduction rounds at the beginning of the meeting, each participant was asked to share her expectations of the program. One participant said: “I am certain that all of us will become directors. The only question is in how many companies.” Most of the women indicated the challenges of the female managerial role in a world of managerial echelon’s that are vastly male, the feeling of isolation at “the top”, the importance of the female voice in the directorates, as well as the possibility of opening the doors for more women in their wake.

kiram Baloum, Jasmine’s founder and CEO, greeted Jasmine’s partners, wished the participants good luck and said: “IZUN strengthens me as well. It gives me and Jasmine the strength to continue to promote women. This is a mission of national importance. We must cultivate and elevate as many women as possible to take their places in key positions, thus allowing women to be real partners, real leaders and real participants in the decision-making processes taking place in the market. From these places, women can promote more women and together we will continue creating the change in Israel’s financial and social map. Furthermore, there is no argument that equality must be established by action, taking more for ourselves, promising equal and just representation, and incorporating women into directorates.”

Among the teachers joining the program are lawyer and accountant Simcha Lev, accountant Amiram Golan, accountant Ariel Fatal, Dana Harel, Ela Elkalai, and Tzipa Carmon.

The program is supported by our partners- The Jewish Federation of Greater Miami, the Genesis Foundation, Matam- Investing in Society.