Founders Generation

Yeshayahu (Shaike) Landau

Yeshayahu (Shaike) Landau, one of the founders of the Ratio Group, was born in Ukraine in 1927.

As a teenager during World War II, he emigrated with his family to Uzbekistan. In 1946, he made “Aliyah” alone aboard the illegal immigration ship “Haganah”. He was captured by the British and imprisoned at the Atlit detention camp.

Landau joined the Palmach, fought in Israel’s War of Independence, and was one of the first soldiers in the Golani Brigade. He completed his military service with honor and was discharged as an officer with the rank of Major.

In the 1950s, he founded Hiram-Landau Ltd., which developed construction and infrastructure projects. He was involved in extensive infrastructure projects in the south of Israel and in the Lachish area and in the construction of the Kiryat Malachi and Kiryat Gat towns.

After the Six Day War, Yeshayahu worked as an infrastructure contractor and won Ministry of Defense tenders to build airports and IDF bases in the Sinai Peninsula. Among other things, he worked in Africa under the auspices of the Hiram-Zeevi Group, which engaged in the construction of desalination plants, diversion of rivers, road paving and the construction of airports in Kenya. Having also built the Entebbe Airport, he was later able to provide the IDF with its precise drawings and construction plans during the planning of Operation Entebbe and thus contributed to its success.

In 1981, Landau, together with partners, founded Granite HaCarmel, which operated as a holdings company that included energy companies Sonol, Supergas, Tambour and the Consolidated Company for Oil Production.

During his work at Hiram-Landau, Landau and his partners initiated the building of the largest private power plant in Israel – Dalia Energies.

Landau financed the transaction whereby the Ormat Electric Turbine Company built a power plant in Southern California and was a partner in the American company that acquired the plant.

In 1992, he acquired an interest in the Union Bank of Israel together with the Rotlevy family and additional partners. That year, the Landau and Rotlevy families founded the limited partnership Ratio Oil Exploration, which was then listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 1993. The partnership became one of the largest oil and gas exploration partnerships in Israel. In 2013, the Landau and Rotlevy families, together with Eitan Aizenberg, established the Ratio Petroleum Partnership, as part of the Ratio Group.

Yeshayahu Landau passed away on November 25, 2018.


David Rotlevy

David Rotlevy, one of the founders of the Ratio Group, was born in 1930 in Tel Aviv, where he was raised and educated.

Following the dismantling of the Palmach, where he served, Rotlevy was transferred to the Intelligence and Signal Corps and participated in its first commanders’ course.

After completing his military service, Rotlevy studied law as part of the first class of the new law faculty at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He completed his studies with honors. In the 1950s and 1960s, his star as a lawyer shone, and he quickly became a partner in the leading law firm M. Seligman  & Co., where he practiced law until the mid-1980s, in parallel with his political activities with the Herut party.

In the 1970s, he entered the civil service, and was elected head of the Tel Aviv District Office of the Israel Bar Association and a member of the Tel Aviv City Council on behalf of the Likud party. In 1979, he was invited by then-Minister of Finance to take on the position of Economic Attaché in the United States – a position he held for two and a half years and in which he contributed to the development of the economic ties between Israel and the United States, as well as with other countries.

On his return to Israel, Rotlevy resumed his political activities and in 1984 was one of the Likud party’s candidates for the Knesset and served as Chairman of the Jabotinsky Institute. During these years, he continued his work as an attorney while engaging in extensive business activities. Among other things, he was an active partner in the family-owned textile company Rotex, the acquisition of Lodzia and Argaman, and the management of these two companies. He also participated in the planning and financing of the development and launch of the Amos satellite project. He has served as a director on behalf of the Israeli government in numerous companies, including Zim and Leumi Bank.

Between 1990 and 1999, he served as head of the Central District of the Israel Bar Association, and as acting Chairman of Herut Hatzohar. Shortly before his death, he was appointed a member in the Bank of Israel’s Advisory Committee.

In 1992, he acquired an interest in the Union Bank of Israel together with the Landau family and additional partners. That year, the Landau and Rotlevy families founded the limited partnership Ratio Oil Exploration, which was listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 1993. The Partnership became one of the largest oil and gas exploration corporations in Israel. In 2013, the Landau and Rotlevy families, together with geologist Eitan Aizenberg, established the Ratio Petroleum Energy Partnership, as part of the Ratio Group.

 

David Rotlevy was a member of the group that envisioned and founded the Performing Arts Center, serving as a board member and Chairman of the Audit Committee and remaining active in it until his death. He was also one of the founders of the Israeli Yiddish Theater and served as its founding Chairman for the remainder of his life.

David Rotlevy passed away in 1999 in Tel Aviv, where he had lived his entire life.

Eran Cario - General Counsel

An attorney serving as the General Counsel of the Partnership, with over ten years of legal experience in securities law, the capital market, corporate law, and commercial law. Holds an LL.M from Haifa University. Before entering the position, worked as an attorney at the law offices of Agmon & Co. Rosenberg Hacohen & Co.

Shiri Moskovich CFO

CPA who holds a B.A. in Accounting and Information systems from “Lev Academic Center” and an M.B.A. from the College of Management. Prior to this position, worked as CFO in a Medical Devises Hi-tech company

Gal Hartman - Exploration Manager

a geophysicist and geologist with over ten years of experience in the areas of geological and geophysical research and in the oil and gas industry. As part of his experience, engaged in operating geophysical surveys, interpretation, and assessment of seismic data including advanced geophysical analyses. Gal is also involved in academic research and collaborations with universities in Israel and worldwide. He works extensively in formulating and implementing the decisions in Ratio Petroleum regarding exploration. Holds a PhD degree in Geophysics from Tel Aviv University.

Eitan Aizenberg SVP Exploration & Production

Co-founder of Ratio Petroleum, SVP Exploration & Production. An entrepreneur and manager, with decades of geological and technical experience in exploration, development and production of oil and gas. Among other things, located the Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean and the Alma field in the Gulf of Suez initiated the establishment and operations of Ratio Petroleum. In addition, in 2011 Mr. Aizenberg analyzed and identified the potential of the Guyana-Suriname Basin, prior to the significant oil discoveries which were later made by ExxonMobil, and he worked to acquire Ratio Petroleum’s interests in Guyana (Kaieteur Block). Holds an MSc in Geology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, focusing on minerology-petrography and chemistry.

Itay Raphael - CEO

one of the entrepreneurs of Ratio Petroleum’s operations, with over ten years of business, commercial and legal experience in the area of oil and gas exploration. Works vis-à-vis various international entities in the oil and gas industry, including business and commercial bodies and government entities. Holds an LL.B and a B.A. in Business Management from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

Rinat Gazit- External Director

Has held the office of outside director since 2017. In recent years, worked as a manager of mergers and acquisitions and as a manager of investment operations in leading corporations in the Israeli market in the energy, natural resources, security, real estate, and finance industries. Holds a B.A. in Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology from Haifa University, and an M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University.

Amos Sapir-Eternal Director

Has held the office of external director since 2017. Serves as a director in a number of public companies. In recent years, held the offices of Chairman of the Board of Migdal Insurance Ltd. and Migdal Holdings Ltd., director of Bank Leumi, outside director of Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd. and in a number of private companies. Holds a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University, New York, and undertook PhD studies in Finance and Banking at Columbia University, New York.

Giora Romm- Independent Director

Has held the office of independent director since 2017. Held the office of Chairman of the National Road Safety Authority until 2019, and CEO of the Civil Aviation Authority until 2014. After retiring from the IDF with the rank of Major General, he held the office of CEO of the Ministry of National Infrastructure, and afterwards of CEO of the Jewish Agency. Holds a B.A. in Economics from Bar Ilan University and an M.B.A. from UCLA University.

Zorik Rotlevy – Director

Has held the office of director since the establishment of the Partnership. Serves as a director in Rotex (1980) Ltd., CEO of Lodzia-Rotex Investment Ltd. and also as a mediator attorney in court cases. Holds an LL.B from the Interdisciplinary Center, a B.A in Psychology and History from Tel Aviv University, and an M.B.A from Columbia University, New York.

Yuval Landau – Director

Co-founder of Ratio Petroleum, has held the office of director since the establishment of the Partnership. Also holds the office of director in Ratio Oil Exploration-LP, Ratio Oil Exploration (Finance) Ltd., and in several other public and private companies.

Yigal Landau -Director

Co-founder of Ratio Petroleum, has held the office of director since the establishment of the Partnership. Also holds the offices of CEO and director in Ratio Oil Exploration-LP and of director in Ratio Oil Exploration (Finance) Ltd. and in a number of other public and private companies.

Yair Rotlevy – Director

Co-founder of Ratio Petroleum, has held the office of director since the establishment of the Partnership. Also holds the office of director in Ratio Oil Exploration-LP and in Ratio Oil Exploration (Finance) Ltd., and of director in several other public and private companies.

Ligad Rotlevy – Chairman of the Board

Co-founder of Ratio Petroleum, has held the office of director and Chairman of the Board since the establishment of the Partnership. Also holds the office of Chairman of the Board of Ratio Oil Exploration (Finance) Ltd., and of director in a number of other private and public companies.