Israel has a large number of businesswomen who are on top of the game when it comes to doing business. Many of these women have made a name for themselves in the Israeli community and one of which is Ofra Yasmin Strauss, daughter of Michael Strauss.
Yasmin is the chairperson of the board of directors of Strauss Group, Israel’s largest Food and Beverage Company founded by her grandparents.
The group operates in five core areas which are Strauss Israel, Strauss Coffee, Sabra-Obela Fresh Dips and Spreads, Max Brenner and Strauss Water.
Yasmin was born in Nahariya in Israel into a family of a business enthusiast. She started learning the family business from her childhood days and was keen on learning its systems.
She would listen to her father as he takes business calls or holds conversations about the company when she was around.
She often engaged the night delivery route, during which she used to help in carrying 20-kg containers of dairy products.
Strauss studied law in the Tel Aviv University Law School and graduated in the year 1987, but she never practised law.
She returned to Israel to work in the family’s company where she was trained to take over her father as the chairperson of the company.
Prior to her coming back to Israel, she worked in the marketing department of the Estée Lauder Companies Inc. an American cosmetics line in New York City, between 1987-1989, where she led a marketing campaign for the company in Japan.
On returning to Strauss, she was given various roles in the company to help her inculcate the nitty gritty of how the business works. As a business lover that she is, she was good at performing her roles making her a reliable heir to the position of the chairperson of Strauss group.
She started as the Group’s Marketing director of the ice cream division and was later moved to head the food division in the corporation.
Although Yasmin didn’t practice law, however, learning in law school instilled in her a mindset about life that helped her manage situations.
Being open-minded about things that happened around her, caused her to learn faster.
Yasmin was nominated director general of the Strauss salads company in 1993. This period was a strategic one for the company because there was a massive growth that was recorded at that time even under her father’s leadership.
During this time the Strauss company engaged in a series of acquisitions including the acquisition of Elite in 1996.
Having acquired Elite, the company appointed Yasmin as CEO of Elite, but it didn’t end there.
In 2001, Michael Strauss announced his retirement and she was appointed the chairperson of the group.
Following her appointment, Yasmin has been on hard work to ensure that the company continues to fly as the leading food and beverage company in Israel.
Since her emergence as the chairperson the Group has continued to expand operating in over 20 countries in the world with about 14,000 employees.
One of the specific achievement was the merger of Elite into the Strauss group, which she has been managing as separate bodies before 2002-2004 when she began a gradual integration of the Elites into the Strauss group.
Strauss has developed strategic partnerships with Danone, PepsiCo, Haier, São Miguel and Virgin, for the sale of dairy, coffee, water, dips, and spreads. The partnership with PepsiCo also created the US-based Sabra Dipping Company, since 2009 the largest hummus manufacturer worldwide.
Asides Strauss Group, Yasmin Chairs the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce since 2011.
She is also the President and Chairperson of the Jasmine organization, Jasmine, promoting Jewish and Arab Israeli women’s entrepreneurship. She serves as a member of the Boards (Governors and Executive) of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
She is a successful businesswoman who runs a successful company with global recognition. Yasmin has four children who are also successful in their field of specialization.
