Makhteshim Agan Group > Our Group > Group Leadership

A formula for greater flexibility and efficiency

Our Global Leadership Group (GLG) is a forum consisting of leading managers collected from all of our many subsidiaries worldwide. The GLG reflects the market-centric approach we are pursuing. It is a strong platform that will enable us to benefit from the expertise and experience of our team members in every region where we maintain operations. The potential for collective and collaborative professional mindshare on issues of crop products, market trends, distribution and logistics, is truly invaluable.

Working together, we look forward to establishing an even leaner and more flexible global organization than we currently have. Our goal is to relentlessly focus on efficient approaches to consolidating and improving our purchasing procedures, streamlining production, and tightening our supply chain while providing a quality product with world class service.

Makhteshim Agan Group is run by a team of highly qualified and committed professionals with decades of proven experience in the development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of crop protection products. Our team is attuned to the many trends driving the crop protection market and work together closely, valuing the mindshare of local experts in the formulation of market-specific policies that drive the Group’s global success.

Avraham Bigger, Chairman of the board

Mr. Bigger joined Makhteshim Agan Group in November 2006. He also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Development Corporation. Amongst his previous roles, Mr. Bigger served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Supersol, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Paz Oil Company and of Israel General Bank (founded by the Rothschild family). He holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Erez Vigodman, President & Chief Executive Officer

Erez Vigodman joined Makhteshim Agan Group in January 2010. Prior to this role, Erez served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Strauss Group Ltd.; Chief Executive officer of Elite Israel; and a partner at KPMG Somekh Chaikin. Mr. Vigodman is a member of the Advisory committee to the National Economic Council, a member of the Teva Pharmaceutical Industries board, and a chairman of the Be’atzmi fellowship association. He is a certified public accountant, holds a B.A in Accounting and Economics from Tel Aviv University and is a graduate of the program of Management Development at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.

Michal Arlosoroff,
Director, General Legal Counsel, Secretary & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer

Ms. Arlosoroff, Esq. is a member of the Israel Bar Association (1987). Before joining Makhteshim Agan Group, Michal was employed and a partner at the Law offices of E.S. Shimron, I. Molho, Persky & Co for 21 years, the last 15 of which she held the position of Partner and Manager of the office’s Tel-Aviv branch. Educated at the University of Tel Aviv, LL.B (1985), B.A. Political Science and Labor Relations (1982) (cum laude), Michal has extensive experience in contract negotiations and is regarded as a key advisor in matters of mergers and acquisitions, license agreements and international commercial transactions.

Ignacio Dominguez, Director - President and CEO, Europe

Mr. Dominguez has an agrochemical industry background of more than 20 years. Starting at ICI as product Manager in 1987, he was promoted to Marketing Manager in 1990. He then moved to American Cyanamid by 1994, where he grew from the role of Spain Marketing Manager to a Marketing Director in the US, and then came back to Spain as Country Head. By the time of the acquisition of American Cyanamid by BASF (year 2000), Mr. Dominguez had joined Makhteshim Agan Group as General Manager of Aragro. In mid 2005 he left Aragro for a position of Country Head with Syngenta, a role he had filled until recently.

Shaul Friedland, Director - President and CEO, Americas

Mr. Friedland joined Makhteshim Agan Group in 2004 as Sales and Marketing Manager, after serving as commercial manager at Agan from 1998. Prior to this Mr. Friedland was regional manager for Latin America and was employed at Makhteshim Chemical Works as Asia and Pacific Desk sales manager. He holds bachelor and master's degrees in Agriculture from the Hebrew University.

Chen Lichtenstein, Director - Global Resources and Corporate Development

Mr. Lichtenstein joined Makhteshim Agan Group in 2006. Prior to this he served as Executive Director of Investment Banking of Goldman Sachs in New York and London. Mr. Lichtenstein has clerked at Israel's Supreme Court and was an attorney at Yigal Arnon & Co. He holds joint doctoral degrees from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and School of Law, and B.Sc (Physics) and LL.B from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Ran Maidan, Director - Finance

Mr. Maidan joined Makhteshim Agan Group in 2006. Prior to this he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Koor Industries. Mr. Maidan served beforehand as Chief Financial Officer of the Elisra Defense Group. He was Vice President, Mergers, Acquisition and Taxation of Koor, was Corporate Controller of Koor. Mr. Maidan was also an Audit Manager at KPMG Somekh Chaikin. He holds an MBA and Bachelor degree in Accounting and Economics, both from the Bar-Ilan University, and is a Certified Public Accountant in Israel.

Dani Harari, Director - Strategy, Innovation and Business Intelligence

Mr. Harari joined the Makhteshim Agan Group in 2010. Prior to this Mr. Harari retired from the IDF (Israeli military), as Brigadier General, after 32 years of service. In his last position, he served for four years as commander of the distinguished "8200 Unit" in the Intelligence Branch. He holds B.A. Arabic language and literature, M.A. Middle Eastern Studies and M.A. Political Science and National Security

David Nir, Director - Israel Plant Operations

Mr. Nir joined Makhteshim in 1976 as an R&D engineer. He established and managed a central facility in Ramat Hovav and then proceeded to assume the role of plant manager while filling several positions along the way, including manager of production, engineering, maintenance, storage and ecology. Mr. Nir served as Makhteshim's human resource manager and has filled the role of VP Operations, responsible for both of Makhteshim's plants. He also served as manager of a number of our group's subsidiaries outside of Israel.

Yoav Zeif, Director - Global Products and Marketing

Prior to joining Makhteshim Agan Group, Mr. Zeif was an Associate Principal of McKinsey & Company, where he served clients around the world focusing on Agrochemicals, telecom and banking and had a key role in planning and overseeing the group's change and improvement plan on behalf of McKinsey.
Mr. Zeif holds a Ph.D. in International Economics of Bar-Ilan University and an MBA of the Kellogg-Recanati school of management.

David Hebel, Head - Trading Companies
Dr. Hebel has been part of Makhteshim Agan Group' activity since 1995 when he began as R&D Project Manager. Prior to this, Dr. Hebel assumed the role of Milenia's Industrial and R&D Director, and Agan's Production Manager and Deputy Operations Manager. He holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Tel-Aviv University and a Post Doctorate from the National Institutes of Health.