Meir Shamir is an international corporate leader and philanthropist. He is the CEO and owner of Mivtach Shamir Holdings, a global investment company. He has been honored for his many contributions to philanthropic endeavors. Mivtach Shamir has grown to be an international powerhouse, with vastly expanded interests, including real estate investment properties and venture capital.

Early Years

Meir Shamir was born in 1951 in Kibbutz Be’erot Yitzhak, Israel. Meir Shamir joined the Israel Defense Forces in 1969 and served in the 69 Squadron as a navigator. During his duty, Shamir fought in the Yom Kippur War. He attended Bar-Ilan University, where he received his BA in Management, Business Administration, and Economics.

After receiving his degree, Meir Shamir joined Mivtach Insurance Company as an insurance agent. He was responsible for selling insurance products to local kibbutzim. However, with a powerful vision of the future, Shamir purchased 50% of the shares in Mivtach in 1981. Shortly after, he purchased the remaining 50% shares, becoming CEO and the company’s sole owner. The company’s name was changed to Mivtach Shamir Holdings.

Mivtach Shamir Holdings

Under the leadership of Meir Shamir, Mivtach Shamir Holdings was transformed into a corporate giant for the future. Shamir sold off the company’s insurance business and transitioned into real estate and technology, industry, and communications. Under his guidance, the company’s market value grew from $5.6M in 1992 to $230M by summer 2017.

Mivtach Shamir has grown to be an international powerhouse, with investments in three core sectors: real estate, communications, and industrial companies. Remarkable Investments

Some of Mivtach Shamir Holdings’ most impressive investments are Gilat Satellite Networks, Tnuva Food Corporation, Solbar, Alony-Hetz, and Verifone Israel.

Global Investments

Mivtach Shamir Holdings began to internationalize its holdings, making a major investment in the Indian company Tower Vision Jersey (TVJ) in 2007. In the same year, Mivtach Real Estate, a Mivtach Shamir Holdings subsidiary, invested $13M in commercial real estate in Chennai, India. The project is a mixed-use real estate development initiative consisting of resort, office, commercial, and entertainment spaces.

In 2015, Mivtach Shamir moved into cybersecurity, making a $7M investment in the startup Nyotron, which built an early reputation for developing real-time, cutting-edge cybersecurity tools able to defend against the latest threats.

Boards and Philanthropy

Meir Shamir serves on many of the corporate boards of the holdings of Mivtach Shamir. Since 2016, he has served as Director of the Gilat Satellite Networks Board of Directors, as well as CEO of the corporation. He also holds board positions at Lipman Electronic Engineering and Tefron USA Inc. Meir Shamir’s passion for international investments is matched by his passion for giving back to the community. He supports several summer and day-care centers that serve at-risk youth living in marginal areas of Israel. Since 2012, he has served as chairman of Taglit Israel, which connects young Jews to their roots.

Meir Shamir is also a supporter of ZAKA, a series of voluntary community emergency response teams in Israel, donating an ambulance to the unit in Petah Tikva in 2015.

In recognition of his leadership in the business community and generous contributions to helping underserved youth access higher education, Shamir was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Bar Ilan University. University officials cited Shamir’s commitment to reinvesting earnings into philanthropic causes, particularly in creating educational pathways for tomorrow’s leaders.

Latest News

As of February 2024, Clal Insurance will invest up to $85 million in Shamir Energy, a subsidiary of Mivtach Shamir Holdings. In return, Clal will receive 20% of Shamir Energy, and plans to invest more if the company reaches desired targets.