Sami Sagol

Sami Sagol has combined a successful business career with a lifetime of exemplary social involvement and a commitment to Israel's future.

He was born in Turkey and, at 15, immigrated to Israel with his family. He studied at the Technion and at Tel Aviv University and, in the 1980s, together with his brother Yitzhak, he received managing responsibility for Keter Plastics, founded by his father, Joseph, in 1948. Under his direction, the company was transformed from a small local business into a leading manufacturer of consumer products. His leadership has consistently emphasized social contribution. In 2005, he established an international development and innovation center – an internship program that provides young designers with practical experience and professional training in research, development, design, and technology, and more, benefiting both the individual participants – and Israel's industry.

Today, Keter has more than 4,000 employees, 18 manufacturing plants, and advanced distribution centers in nine countries. In 2010, Sami started to realize that in order to maintain Keter Group’s growth, the business would require new ownership and management. In 2016, the Sagol family sold its majority stake in Keter for a transaction valued at $1.7 billion.

Longtime philanthropist, Sami Sagol is the founder of the Sagol Neuroscience and Longevity Network, a series of 12 centers at eight Israeli institutions focused on brain science, aging, and longevity, including the Sagol Institute for Longevity Research at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Assaf Harofe Medical Center.