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Yitzhak Rabin and Arie Genger |
An American citizen, Genger grew up in Israel and left to attend university in New York. He received a BA from The City University of New York after studying Economics and Business Administration and then stayed at the institution to study for an MBA in Business Administration. During his time at university he was awarded the Morton Wollman Medal for his hard work and commitment.
Genger first developed his strong managerial skills and business acumen at Rapid American Corporation when he became an assistant to the Chairman of the board . At the time, Rapid American Corporation was a big company that owned a range of brands and stores, including Playtex, Elizabeth Arden cosmetics and Samsonite.
The company faced a range of financial difficulties and Genger played a key role in re-organising the business, helping to turn the company around. Due to his strong business sense, Arie Genger was soon promoted to be the President of one of The Rapid American Corporation's subsidiaries called the McCrory Corporation. Although the company was experiencing losses in excess of $75million at the time Genger was appointed, when he relinquished his position he had turned the company around and it was making a good profit.
After around ten years with the Rapid American Corporation and the McCrory Corporation, Genger went to Israel after being offered a senior post in the government and went on to work within the government's defence and later economic ministry.
It was during his time with the Israeli government that Genger became close to Ariel Sharon, the future Prime Minister of Israel. Over the years, Genger became not only Sharon's friend but also his confidant and personal advisor. This strong relationship was maintained for the next 20 years and when Sharon became Prime Minister of Israel in 2001, Genger became his emissary to the White House and the personal channel between the Israeli and American governments.
Arie Genger is one of the partners at AGDB Holdings LLC and the founder and former CEO of Trans-Resources Inc (TRI). AGDB Holdings is a merchant bank that specializes in investment in medium sized businesses.
In 1985 Genger founded TRI, a Fertilizer and Chemical company where he served as a chairman until 2008. TRI is a thriving private company that owns several successful chemical organisations, including Haifa Chemicals.
Genger has also been involved in a range of other investments and pursuits; he founded the First American Israeli Technology Fund (FAIT) to promote American investments within Israel's private sector. He also founded the Pinchas Memorial Foundation Prize in Bar Ilan University, as well as the Tel Aviv University endowment for Rabin Chair, both charitable entities.
For his pioneering work with Trans-Resources, in 1998 Genger won a prestigious Jubilee Award, which recognizes both individuals and organisations that through investment and trade have strengthened the Israeli economy. It is considered to be a very important award and is reserved for those that have shown a great deal of hard work and commitment to business.
Other Links
Arie Genger’s lawsuit
TRI v. Arie Genger - Forbes case review