Elektra Real Estate Chair Transforms Company Value Sixteenfold Since 2006
Ben, 48, married with two children and based in Tel Aviv, currently serves as chairman of Elektra Real Estate. He grew up in Omer in southern Israel, son of a teacher mother and a chemical engineer father who led R&D at Makhteshim Agan. After excelling in the Israeli Navy's elite naval command course and serving seven years, he transitioned to academia, earning dual degrees in law and business from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, where he now teaches real estate investment.
Ben's career with Elektra began in 2006 as an analyst after meeting the controlling Zalkind brothers while working as a sailing instructor. He quickly rose through the ranks, managing European office assets during the 2008 financial crisis, learning critical lessons about leverage. Following a leadership change in 2011, he led a global asset sell-off to avoid debt restructuring, managing debts of 1.3 billion shekels and negotiating with Deutsche Bank.
In late 2014, at age 37, Ben was appointed CEO of Elektra Real Estate when the company was valued at approximately 245 million shekels. Over the next seven years, he grew the company's market value to about 4 billion shekels, a 1,540% increase. Under his leadership, Elektra expanded into the U.S. multifamily housing market, acquiring a management company from its parent Eleco in 2016 and launching five investment funds. They raised $6.5 billion in equity, managing nearly 35,000 housing units primarily in Republican-leaning states such as Texas, Florida, and Georgia, targeting middle-income tenants earning around $100,000 annually.
Despite recent stock declines over 32% since early 2026 due to interest rate and currency pressures, Ben remains optimistic about recovery. In 2021, he transitioned to active chairman, overseeing new office and single-family home investments in London and the U.S., respectively. Looking ahead, he aims to take a senior role within the Eleco group, expressing commitment to the company for the long term, inspired by his father's 40-year career at Makhteshim Agan.
