Appointments
Viola appoints new Partner to lead human capital operation
Jeff Shapiro, a senior executive search professional, will head the new operation whose mission will be to support portfolio companies as they build their global and local management teams
Viola, one of Israel's largest tech investment groups, announced on Tuesday that Jeff Shapiro will be joining the firm as Partner and new Human Capital Operation leader. Driven by the intense competition for high-tech talent in Israel, Shapiro will establish a dedicated operation to assist portfolio companies in their search for experienced executives both in Israel and globally, particularly at VP and C-level positions.
Shapiro, a veteran executive recruiter for technology and life sciences companies, brings to Viola over 25 years of experience in executive search. Until recently Jeff was a Senior Partner at Kingsley Gate Partners, a global company specializing in executive and board members placement for corporate clients in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. Shapiro has worked extensively with many of Israel's leading technology companies and funds.
Jeff Shapiro. Photo: Viola
"Israeli companies are growing faster and aiming higher than ever. As a result, entrepreneurs need to set up their management teams at an earlier stage of the company lifecycle, intensifying the competition over high-quality executives,” said Zvika Orron, General Partner at Viola. “As investors, we believe it is part of our role to conceive solutions that give our companies a market edge. This understanding drove our decision to change the conversation on VC Human Capital operations and place a greater emphasis on talent acquisition, especially at the executive level.”
As partner and head of Viola's Human Capital operation, Shapiro will interface with the management teams of over 100 portfolio companies in Viola's four investment arms, from early-stage to publicly traded companies.
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"Human capital has become a significant challenge for Israeli startups and is expected to intensify on the backdrop of the growing competition in the local ecosystem,” said Jeff Shapiro. “The establishment of a “talent first” human capital operation in a VC fund is a gamechanger in the local venture capital market."
Shapiro added, "Over the past few years, we have seen an increasing number of Israeli companies keeping their headquarters in Israel, including management positions they used to recruit overseas. The age of digital distribution supports this trend, which I believe will continue to grow and as a result will increase demand for local executives."
