Bank Hapoalim taps banking veteran Dov Kotler as CEO
Appointment comes on the heels of Israel Discount Bank appointing Uri Levin as its new chief
Shoshanna Solomon was The Times of Israel's Startups and Business reporter
Israel’s Bank Hapoalim Ltd., the nation’s second largest lender by market value, has appointed a veteran of the banking industry as its chief executive officer.
The bank’s board late Monday said it was tapping 63-year old Dov Kotler to the post, replacing Arik Pinto, who will step down at the end of the year after 40 years at the bank including four at its helm.
Kotler’s appointment is subject to approval by the Bank of Israel, Hapoalim said in a statement, and his start date will be set at a later time.
Kotler has a BA in economics and an MA in business from Tel Aviv University. Among the previous posts he held were CEO of Hapoalim’s credit card business Isracard in 2009-2015; CEO of Union Bank of Israel Ltd., in 2003-2005; and CEO of the Visa Cal credit card unit of Israel Discount Bank Ltd. and First International Bank of Israel Ltd. in 2000-2003.
Kotler’s appointment came on the heels of Israel Discount Bank announcing, also Monday, that its board had tapped Uri Levin, 46, as its new CEO, to replace outgoing Lilach Asher-Topilsky, who said in June she would step down to become a senior partner at the Israeli private equity fund FIMI Fund.
Bank Leumi Le-Israel Ltd., the nation’s largest lender by market value, is also on the hunt for a new CEO amid a spate of resignations at Israel’s leading banks.
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