Ofra Strauss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ofra Strauss
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| עפרה שטראוס | |
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| Born | 22 August 1960 Nahariya, Israel
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| Occupation | Chairperson of Strauss Group |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Dan Lahat
(m. 1987; div. 2001)Adi Keizman
(m. 2005; div. 2010) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Michael Strauss |
Ofra Yasmin Strauss (Hebrew: עפרה יסמין שטראוס; born on August 22, 1960) is a very successful Israeli business leader. She is the Chairperson of the Strauss Group, a large food company in Israel. It is the second-biggest food maker in the country. Ofra Strauss became the chairperson in 2001. She took over from her father, Michael Strauss, who had prepared her for the role.
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Early Life and Family
Ofra Strauss was born in Nahariya, Israel. She is the oldest of three children. Her mother, Ella, was a nurse and a survivor of the Holocaust. Her father, Michael, was the chairperson of the Strauss Group. Her grandparents, Hilda and Dr. Richard Strauss, started the family business.
Ofra has a younger sister named Irit and a younger brother named Adi. Both are also involved in business.
Ofra grew up around the family business. Her father shared that when she was only 11 years old, she would join him on his night delivery routes. She helped carry heavy dairy products and listened carefully to his business talks. She learned a lot about the company from a young age.
She studied law at Tel Aviv University and graduated in 1987.
Her Business Journey
From 1987 to 1989, Ofra Strauss worked in the marketing department for Estée Lauder Companies in New York City. This company makes cosmetics. During her time there, she even led a marketing campaign in Japan.
In 1989, Ofra returned to Israel and started working in the family business. She took on different jobs to learn all about the company. She became the Marketing Director for the ice cream part of the company. Later, she led the food division. In 1993, she became the general manager of the Strauss salads company.
The Strauss company grew a lot during this time. Her father led many important purchases of other food businesses. One big purchase was Elite in 1996. After this, Ofra became the CEO of Elite. In 2001, when her father retired, she was appointed chairperson of the entire Strauss Group.
From 2002 to 2004, Ofra Strauss helped combine Elite fully into the Strauss Group. By 2007–2008, the name "Elite" was no longer part of the main company's name. It remained a popular brand for chocolate and coffee.
Ofra Strauss has also created important partnerships with other big companies. These include Danone, PepsiCo, Haier, São Miguel, and Virgin. These partnerships help sell products like dairy, coffee, water, and dips. The partnership with PepsiCo also led to the creation of the Sabra Dipping Company in the US. Since 2009, Sabra has been the largest maker of hummus worldwide.
Since 2011, Ofra Strauss has been the Chair of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce. This group helps businesses in Israel and America work together.
Helping Others
Ofra Strauss is also very active in helping her community.
- She is the President of Jasmine, an Israeli organization that helps Jewish and Arab Israeli women start their own businesses. In 2016, Jasmine won an award for promoting a respectful society.
- In 2008, she helped start the Israeli Catalyst census. This project counts how many women are on the boards of companies. It helps encourage more women to become leaders in business.
- She is a member of the International Council on Women's Business Leadership.
- She used to be the Chair of fundraising for WIZO (Women's International Zionist Organization).
- Ofra started a scholarship program named after her grandmother, Hilda Strauss. This scholarship helps students.
- She is a board member of HESEG. This foundation helps "lone soldiers" who come to Israel from other countries to serve in the army.
- She is also on the board of the Taub Center, which studies social issues in Israel.
- In the 2000s, she led the "Together at Home" project. This project helped Ethiopian Jews who moved to Israel to settle in.
Awards and Achievements
Ofra Strauss has received many awards for her work:
- In 2000, she won the Israeli Industry Prize from the Manufacturers' Association of Israel for her work in the food industry.
- In 2005, Fortune Magazine listed her as 42nd on its list of "Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs." She was also on the "Fortune Global Power 50" list between 2003 and 2008.
- In 2009–2010, the Financial Times ranked her among the top leading women in the business world.
Personal Life
Ofra Strauss is a mother of four children. Her three older children, Michaela, Tom, and Jasmine, are from her first marriage to Dan Lahat. Her youngest daughter, Daniel, is from her second marriage to Adi Keizman.
