Neil A. Cooper, Esq., PICC President, and Executive Partner at Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC
Philadelphia, PA (December 19, 2017) – The Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce has elected new leadership of its Board of Directors, and the addition of new members to its Board and Advisory Board strengthening its position as the go-to organization when it comes to developing business, investment, academic and commercial ties with Israel, a science and technology powerhouse.
Neil A. Cooper, Esq., Executive Partner, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC (RCCB) was named PICC President. He will be supported by three Vice Presidents: J. Todd Abrams, Ph.D., Senior Director, New Ventures and Business Development, Temple University; Scott I. Feldman, Esq., Global Head SAP Leonardo Customer Community, SAP; and Matthew Fingerman, Wealth Manager, BNY Mellon. E. Carolyn Hochstadter Dicker, Esq., Attorney at Law, E. Carolyn Hochstadter Dicker, LLC will serve as PICC Secretary, and Fred Kaplan, CBM MBA, Director, Mazars USA LLP will serve as Treasurer. David J. Allon, PICC Immediate Past President and Managing Representative at Woodbury, and Richard A. Bendit, PICC Past President and Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC, will continue serving on the Executive Committee.
“It is my honor and privilege to head the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce with a new executive team. They are committed to volunteering their significant experience in technology and innovation, healthcare, finance and investment to accelerating the creation of even more joint venture relationships between and among companies, investors, researchers, executives and academics in Israel and Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware,” said Neil A. Cooper, PICC President. “I will be joined by well-respected regional leaders who represent some of the best-known names in business and research.”
2017 was a successful year for the PICC, packed with three conferences featuring first responders and homeland technologies, functional fabrics and big data and digital health. In addition, Chamber activities included a business mission to Israel, investment and networking events, and assisting Israeli companies with market entry and opening offices in the Greater Philadelphia Region. The Chamber coached regional companies to submit grant requests from the BIRD Foundation, and landed two grants.
The new Directors are identified as follows:
- John J. Churchill, Director of Business Consulting, Fortis Business Growth Accelerator
- Seth Freedman, Director of Corporate Development & Innovation at Independence Health Group, Independence Blue Cross
- Zvi Grunwald, MD, Professor, Chair, Department of Anesthesiology, James D. Wentzler, Thomas Jefferson University
- Mike Krupit, Founder & Lead Coach, Trajectify LLC
- Fernando Sallés, Ph.D., VP, Head of Global Search, Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Jonathan Spanier, Ph.D., Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and of Physics and of Electrical & Computer Engineering (affiliated), College of Engineering, Drexel University.
The following Directors of the Board concluded their term and will be serving on the Advisory Board:
- Patrick M. Foley, First Vice President, Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc
- Immanuel K. John
- Merom Klein, Ph.D., Principal, Courage Growth Partners
- Pnina Mintz, Ph.D., Chief Culture Officer, The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health
- Rivka Riven Kreitman, Ph.D., SVP., Head of Global Search and Evaluation and Acting Head of Global Specialty Regulatory Affairs, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Kenny J. Simansky, Ph.D., Vice Dean for Research, Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University
- Joel F. Smith, President & CEO, J.F. Smith & Associates
- Mark L. Tykocinski, MD, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Thomas Jefferson University, The Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma, Dean, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
- Jordan Warshafsky, Partner, Ashton Tweed LTD.
They will be joined by the following new Advisory Board Members:
- Ari D. Brooks, MD, Professor of Clinical Surgery, University of Pennsylvania
- Tami Fratis, Managing Member, Phoenician Ventures
- Kelly Gates, Managing Director, Gates and Company
- Nili Lesnik, General Manager, Golden Number Solutions Corp
- Samuel Major, Tech Investor, Susquehanna Growth Equity
- Sarah Plimpton Liebowitz, Corporate Communications and Public Relations Executive, Inolex
- Marina Zivik, CPA, Vice President and Chief Tax Officer, Trinseo
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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 ventures.
Visit our website for a full list of our Board and Advisory Board members.
For more information
Ms. Vered Nohi, Executive Director
Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce
302.540.6374