Former Phoenix Director Stella Cohen Launches New Investment Fund

Stella Cohen, a seasoned investment professional with over two decades of international experience, is launching a new investment fund in Israel alongside Raanan Igus, who previously spent 32 years at Goldman Sachs. Cohen, who previously served as co-chair of private equity at J. Safra and held board positions at The Phoenix insurance company, aims for a stable 20% annual return for her new fund, emphasizing a cautious approach to risk.

The fund has already secured approximately $120 million from American investors and plans to raise hundreds of millions of shekels from Israeli institutional investors. Cohen is actively seeking investment opportunities in Israeli companies, particularly those with EBITDA between $10-20 million, and is already in discussions with several potential targets.

Cohen's background includes significant roles in mergers and acquisitions at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, and direct investment at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In Israel, she was instrumental as a director at The Phoenix, representing controlling shareholders and contributing to a strategy that yielded a threefold return on investment. Her new venture will focus on four sectors: business services, financial services, defense companies, and industry, with a preference for established companies that can benefit from international expansion expertise.

The fund's advisory committee includes notable figures such as Matthew Boutin, co-founder of Gallatin; Eli Groner, former Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office; Eugene Kandel, former Chairman of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange; and Yossi Weiss, former CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries. Cohen stated that the fund's logo, the harp of King David, symbolizes creativity, harmony, and stability, reflecting her investment philosophy. She also noted that the fund is named after her father, and her decision to establish it in Israel is an expression of gratitude for her parents' long lives amidst national loss.