Profile

Dr. Iris Ginzburg

Director of the MBA Program specializing in Management of Technology, Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Tel Aviv University

Bio

In a nutshell: I am a true zealot of Innovation in general and especially Israeli Innovation.

My formal education started with a B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics (cum laude), followed by a PhD in physics ("Artificial Neural Networks") both from the Tel Aviv University. I also earned an M.Sc. in Management of Technology from MIT Sloan School of Management.

In my career I followed many paths. I spent 6 years in the 80s as a software engineer. During my school years I worked as a physics instructor and later as a research associate. In the late 90s I worked for PWC as a consultant, a move that galvanized my future decision to fuse academia, research and teaching with business and industry.

Early 2000, I co-founded and managed ContX, a start-up that developed location-based services for mobile providers focusing on mobile and internet commerce. Too early for the market and too late to raise money, we were unable to gain traction.

In 2003 after Joining IBM I founded and was the global leader of IBM's Innovation Management Practice. I led this effort for 5 years during which I had the pleasure and the privilege of working with outstanding peers and exciting clients. I helped clients design and implement, customized innovation processes, explore new technology-based growth opportunities and guide open collaboration efforts. I worked with some of the most innovative companies in the world in many a sector such as communications, industrial and financial sectors in Asia, US and Europe. This position also allowed me to create and develop strategic innovation frameworks.

I am a strong believer in the Israeli Innovation ecosystem and in further developing it. In 2007 I founded the Israeli Innovation Forum (IIF) at IDC - the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. I lead the forum and served as the academic director.

In 2008 after leaving IBM, I started Demaya. It is a boutique strategic Innovation consulting firm. Together with my partner and with a group of experienced consultants we provide innovation services mainly to large organizations in Israel and outside of Israel.

In 2010, feeling antsy again, I founded and took the position of director and general manager of the MBA program for Management of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Recanati Business School at Tel Aviv University. In addition to our state-of-the-art academic curriculum, we have successfully launched unique and innovative activities such as a set of unique Innovation and Entrepreneurship Master Classes, and the Delta startup studio - a pre-accelerator in which our students and graduates can take an idea from concept to execution, experiencing the true meaning of entrepreneurship in practice. In the 4 years this program has been running it has gained strong recognition in the marketplace, with heavy involvement of leading entrepreneurs, innovators and practitioners. With more than 300 students, this program is considered Recanati's flagship MBA program.