Jacob Schimmel

Chair
 
Jacob Schimmel, LLB MA (Phil) is chairman of UKI Investments, the Schimmel Families investment arm. After graduating in law and philosophy from University College, London, in 1987, Schimmel spent 10 years in the family's real-estate business, one of the largest private real estate companies in the United Kingdom. Today, as chairman of UKI Investments, he is responsible for the family's substantial interests in real estate, financial services, technology, aviation, tourism and telecommunications. The family's business interests are centered in the United Kingdom, France and Israel with growing involvement in Eastern Europe and the United States.

Recently, Schimmel has been involved in the purchase of IDB Holding Corporation Ltd., one of the largest business enterprises in Israel. The IDB Group, which encapsulates more than 200 companies, has leadership positions in almost every field of Israeli industry, including telecommunications, finance, real estate, retail, building materials and technology. The IDB Group accounts for more than 17 percent of the capitalization of the TA-25 Index and approximately 5 percent of key benchmark indexes. The Group employs 35,000 people and has more than $14 billion in assets. Schimmel is a Board member of the new Group.

In addition to his business activities, Schimmel serves on the Board of various charitable foundations, including the Schimmel Family Foundations, the United Way, Israel - Matan (chair), the American Joint Jewish Distribution Committee -USA and the European Board of the International Youth Foundation.