Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce Ushers in New Leadership
Advancing its long-term goal to engage with Israel and to strengthen the economies of the Delaware Valley region and Israel, The Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce continues to diversify and strengthen its leadership team. On December 4, its Board of Director installed a new Executive Committee and welcomed new Board and Advisory Board Members, each of whom connects directly with innovation and opportunities to accelerate economic growth.
PICC membership elected Matthew I. Fingerman, ChFC®, CFP®, Vice President, Wealth Manager, BNY Mellon, to head its Board of Directors as President, and the following professionals as members of the Executive Committee:
- Immediate Past President: Neil A. Cooper, Esq., Executive Partner, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC
- Past President: David J. Allon, MBA, Managing Representative, Woodbury Financial
- Vice President: Todd Abrams, PhD, Senior Director, New Ventures and Business Development at Temple University
- Vice President: John J. Churchill, Business Strategist, WSFS Bank
- Vice President: Rene Rothstein-Rubin, MD, FACP, FCPP, Founder, Rittenhouse Hematology Oncology
- Vice President and Secretary: Matthew Taylor, Partner, Permit Capital Advisors, LLC
- Treasurer: Immanuel John K., Partner, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
- Executive Director: Vered Nohi
The Board extend the service of the following Board Members for another two-year term:
- Scott I. Feldman, Esq., Principal, Independent Management Consultant
- Carolyn Hochstadter Dicker, Esq., Attorney at Law, E. Carolyn Hochstadter Dicker, LLC
- Seth Freedman, Director of Corporate Development & Innovation at Independence Health Group, Independence Blue Cross
- Mike Krupit, Founder & Lead Coach, Trajectify LLC
- Lori F. Reiner, Chief People Officer, Philadelphia, EisnerAmper LLP
- Jonathan E Spanier, PhD, Associate Dean, College of Engineering, Professor of Engineering and Physics, Drexel University
PICC ushered new professionals to the PICC Board:
- Shouvanik Chatterjee, Chief Operating Officer, Indegene Encima Group
- Ayala Laufer-Cahana MD, Founder, Dr. Ayala, LLC and Dr. Ayala’s Magic Spice
- Asaf Levy, Vice President – Head of Global Teva R&D Project Leadership and Strategy, Teva Pharmaceuticals
PICC welcomed new blood to the Advisory Board:
- Lawton Laurence, Director of Radical and Disruptive Innovation, West Pharmaceutical Services
- Allison Lindemann, Head of Sales Incentives and Store Initiatives, TD Bank
- Qingbin Yuan, Sr. Director, R&D International, The Hershey Company
- Amy Zitelman, CEO, Soom Foods
“It is my honor and privilege to lead the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and welcome talented and accomplished new leaders to accelerate our regional efforts. Their diverse experience with disruptive technologies will complement the Chamber’s mission and activities growing joint ventures between and among companies, investors, researchers, executives and academics in Israel and Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware,” said Matthew Fingerman, PICC President.
PICC’s new Board and Advisory Board members will contribute to PICC strategic direction and help formulate its programing in the next two years, featuring innovation in life sciences, food tech, automation, cybersecurity and more. The PICC will also promote entering into additional memorandum of understandings between regional corporations and Israel Innovation Authority, and accelerate funding opportunities by the U.S.-Israel Binational Industrial R&D Foundation (BIRD).
Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce:
The unique mission of the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce is developing business and academic ties between Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware, and Israel. The PICC is a non-profit, non-denominational, independent organization focused on creating commercial and investment opportunities between the two regions.
The PICC also represents the US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), which has made more than $10 million in industrial R&D grants regionally to U.S.-Israeli technology joint ventures (3 grants awarded to PA and Southern NJ in 2019).
