Board of Directors
Amir Elstein
Chairman of the Board
Amir Elstein has served as the Chairman of our Board since January 2009. Mr. Elstein serves as a Director of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and serves as Chairman of the Israel Democracy Institute. During 2010-2013, Mr. Elstein served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Israel Corporation.
Mr. Elstein was a member of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries senior management team from 2005 to 2008, where he ultimately held the position of the Executive Vice President at the Office of the Chief Executive Officer, overseeing Global Pharmaceutical Resources. Prior thereto, Mr. Elstein was an executive at Intel Corporation, where he worked for 23 years, eventually serving as General Manager of Intel Electronics Ltd., an Israeli subsidiary of Intel Corporation.
Mr. Elstein received a B.Sc. degree in physics and mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and M.Sc. degree in the Solid State Physics Department of Applied Physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1982. In 1992, Mr. Elstein received his diploma of Senior Business Management from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Yoav Z. Chelouche
Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee, Member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
Yoav Z. Chelouche has served as a director since April 2016, as a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee since January 2018, and as a chairman and member of our Audit Committee since May 2017. Mr. Chelouche is classified by the Board of Directors as an audit committee financial expert under applicable SEC rules. Mr. Chelouche serves as Managing Partner of Aviv Ventures since its inception in 2001. Between 1995 and 2001, Mr. Chelouche served as President & CEO of Scitex Corp. Until 2015, Mr. Chelouche was co-chairman of Israel Advanced Technology Industries. Mr. Chelouche currently serves on the Board of Directors of the following publicly listed companies: Check Point Software Technologies, Ltd., the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, Ltd., Shufersal Ltd. and Malam-Team Ltd. Mr. Chelouche is also a board member in several private companies, including Aviv Ventures’ portfolio companies: Vessl Therapeutics and ScaleMP. Mr. Chelouche also previously served as Chairman of several public companies.
Mr. Chelouche holds a B.A. degree in economics and statistics from Tel-Aviv University and an MBA degree from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.
Ilan Flato
Director, Member of the Compensation Committee, Member of the Audit Committee
Ilan Flato has served as a director since February 2009 (until November 2016 as an external director, within the meaning of the Israeli Companies Law). Mr. Flato served as chairman of the Compensation Committee from February 2013 until October 2019 and since such time continues to serve as a member of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Flato has served as a member of the Audit Committee since April 2009. Mr. Flato is classified by the Board of Directors as an audit committee financial expert under applicable SEC rules. Mr. Flato has served as President of The Association of Publicly Traded Companies on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange since January 2012. Since 2011, Mr. Flato has been a member of the Israel Bar Association. From 2009 until 2018, Mr. Flato served as a director in two Provident Funds. From 2009 until April 2018, Mr. Flato served as Chairman of the Business Executive of Kibbutz Kfar Blum. From January 2018 until April 2020, Mr. Flato served as Chairman of the Business Executive Kibbutz “NAAN”. Since 2004, Mr. Flato has functioned as an independent financial adviser. Until 2004, Mr. Flato served as the VP for planning, economics and online banking in United Mizrahi Bank and as the Chief Economist of the bank. From 1992 until 1996, Mr. Flato served as the Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel. Prior to that position, Mr. Flato served in the Treasury Office as the deputy director of the budget department. In addition, Mr. Flato served as a member of the board of directors of many government-owned companies.
Mr. Flato holds a B.A. degree in economics from Tel-Aviv University, an LL.B. degree from Netanya College, an M.A. degree in law from Bar-Ilan University and an MSIT from Clark University.
Kalman Kaufman
Director, Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
Kalman Kaufman has served as a director since 2005 and as chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee Committee since January 2018. Mr. Kaufman served as Corporate Vice President at Applied Materials from 1994 to 2005. Between 1985 and 1994, Mr. Kaufman served as President of KLA Instruments Israel, a company he founded, and General Manager of Kulicke and Soffa Israel.
Mr. Kaufman is currently the Chairman of the board of directors of Medasense and Invisia, a director at Trellis Inc, Chair of the general assembly of the Kinneret Academic College and chairman of the Tzemach Kineret Development Corporation. Mr. Kaufman holds engineering degrees from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
Iris Avner
Director, Member of the Audit Committee
Iris Avner has served as a director since June 2016 (until November 2016 as an external director, within the meaning of the Israeli Companies Law), and has served as a member of the Audit Committee since June 2016. Ms. Avner served as a member of the Compensation Committee from June 2016 until October 2019. Ms. Avner is classified by the Board of Directors as an audit committee financial expert under applicable SEC rules. Ms. Avner serves as Chief Executive Officer of Nika Holdings, Ltd. From 2008 to 2015, Ms. Avner served as Managing Partner of Mustang Mezzanine Fund, L.P. and served on Mustang’s board of directors from 2014 until 2015. From 1996 until 2008, Ms. Avner served as Chief Executive Officer of Mizrahi Tefahot Capital Markets Ltd. and from 1996 until 2005, served as Senior Credit Officer & Deputy CEO of Mizrahi Tefahot Bank. In addition, from 1997 until 2002, Ms. Avner served as Assistant Professor and external lecturer in the Executive MBA Program at Tel Aviv University. From 1988 until 1996, Ms. Avner held various positions at Israeli Discount Bank including Senior Credit Officer and Senior Economist. Ms. Avner has served as a member of the board of directors of Israel Discount Bank since March 2018 and Amir Marketing and Investments in Agriculture since May 2017. Ms. Avner has served as a member of the board of directors of Rotshtein Real Estate since August 2016. Ms. Avner previously served on several boards and board committees in Israel and abroad, both as director and chairperson.
Ms. Avner holds a B.A. degree in accounting and economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MBA degree from Tel Aviv University.
Russell Ellwanger
Director, CEO
Russell C. Ellwanger has served as our Chief Executive Officer since May 2005. Mr. Ellwanger has also served as a director since September 2016, and previously served as a director between May 2005 and April 2013. Mr. Ellwanger serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of our subsidiaries, Tower Semiconductor USA, Inc., Tower US Holdings, Inc., Tower Semiconductor NPB Holdings, Inc., Tower Semiconductor Newport Beach, Inc., Tower Partners Semiconductor Co., Ltd. and Tower Semiconductor San Antonio, Inc. From 1998 to 2005, Mr. Ellwanger served in various executive positions for Applied Materials Corporation, including Group Vice President, General Manager of the Applied Global Services (AGS), from 2004 to 2005, and Group Vice President, General Manager of the CMP and Electroplating Business Group, from 2002 to 2004. Mr. Ellwanger also served as Corporate Vice President, General Manager of the Metrology and Inspection Business Group, from 2000 to 2002, during which time he was based in Israel. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Ellwanger served as Vice President of Applied Materials’ 300-mm Program Office, USA. Mr. Ellwanger served as General Manager of Applied Materials’ Metal CVD Division from 1997 to 1998 and from 1996 to 1997, Mr. Ellwanger served as Managing Director of CVD Business Development, during which time he was based in Singapore. In addition, Mr. Ellwanger held various managerial positions in Novellus System from 1992 to 1996 and in Philips Semiconductors from 1980 to 1992.
Dana Gross
Director, Chairman of the Compensation Committee, Member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
Dana Gross has served as a director since November 2008, as a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee Committee since January 2018, as a member of the Compensation Committee since February 2013, and as Chair of the Compensation Committee since November 2020. In addition, Mrs. Gross has served as a director on the board of Tower Semiconductor Newport Beach, Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiary, since March 2009. Mrs. Gross is currently the COO of Prospera Technologies Ltd., an AgTech Data Company. Mrs. Gross was the CFO of eToro, a FinTech company that developed a Social Investment network from 2014 to 2016, and the CEO of Btendo, a start-up company that developed MEMS-based PICO projection solutions until it was acquired by ST Microelectronic in 2012. Mrs. Gross was a Venture Partner at Viola Ventures, a leading Israeli venture capital firm, from 2018 until 2010. From 2006 to 2008, Mrs. Gross was a Senior VP, Israel Country Manager at SanDisk Corporation. From 1992 to 2006, Mrs. Gross held various senior positions at M-Systems, including Chief Marketing Officer, VP World Wide Sales, President of M-Systems Inc. (US subsidiary), and CFO, VP Finance and Administration. In addition, Mrs. Gross served as a director of M-Systems Ltd., Audiocodes Ltd., and Power Dsine Ltd.
Mrs. Gross holds a B.Sc. degree in Industrial Engineering from Tel-Aviv University and an M.A. degree in business administration from San Jose State University.
Michal Vakrat Wolkin
Director, member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
Michal Vakrat Wolkin has served as a director since September 2020, and as a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee since November 2020. Ms. Wolkin has served as a partner at GFT Ventures, a global venture capital firm since 2020 and on the Advisory Board of RACAH Nano Tech Fund of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem since 2019. Ms. Wolkin served as Managing Director of Lear Innovation Ventures from January 2017 until 2020. During 2014-2016, Ms. Wolkin served as Head of 3M R&D and from 2012 until 2014, she served as Technical Chair of the Night Rover Challenge of NASA/CleanTech Open. Ms. Wolkin served as Director of Energy Storage Technologies in Better Place from 2008 until 2012, and from 2004 until 2008, she served as Member of Research Staff II at the Hardware system lab at Xerox PARC.
Ms. Wolkin received her B.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Israel in 1996 and Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics and Materials Science from the University of Rochester, NY in 2000. In 2003 until 2004, Ms. Wolkin did her Post-doctorate at the Electronics Materials Lab at Xerox PARC.
Avi Hasson
Director, Member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee
Avi Hasson has served as a director since September 2020, and as a member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee since November 2020. Mr. Hasson is classified by the Board of Directors as an audit committee financial expert under applicable SEC rules. Mr. Hasson is a partner at Emerge, a leading early stage venture capital firm. Mr. Hasson serves in several non-profit organizations, including as a director on the board of directors of Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, SpaceIL and Israel Tech Challenge. From January 2011 until July 2017, Mr. Hasson served as the Chief Scientist in the Ministry of Economy and Industry and as Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority. From 2000 until 2010, Mr. Hasson served as General Partner at Gemini Israel Funds, a top tier venture capital fund in Israel. Prior thereto, Mr. Hasson held executive positions in product management, marketing and business development at various telecommunication technology companies, including ECI Telecom, ECtel and Tadiran Systems.
Mr. Hasson received his B.A. degree in Economics and Middle East studies from Tel-Aviv University in 1997 and M.BA. degree from Tel Aviv University in 2002.