Politicsסמי בקלש

Samy Bakalash

Samy Bakalash is an Israeli accountant and manager who served as Director General of the Knesset from 2020 to 2021 and chairs the Government Tourism Corporation.

born 1960Director General of the KnessetChairing the Government Tourism CorporationCorporate governance consulting

Born: 20 August 1960, Uruguay
Occupation: accountant, civil servant
Education: Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University

Samy Bakalash was born in 1960 in Uruguay

Samy Bakalash was born in Uruguay on August 20, 1960. In 1969 he moved to Israel with his family. They lived first in Bat Yam and later in Raanana.

He joined the IDF in 1978 and served in the Combat Engineering Corps, later serving with the Paratroopers. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and economics from Tel Aviv University and a bachelor's in business administration and finance from Bar-Ilan University.

He worked at Israel Aerospace Industries in a management trainee group. He was CFO of the Israel Sports Betting Board and of Hargaz, and CEO of Pereg and of the Shalhav holding group. He also served on boards, including Cellcom, and led a consulting firm on corporate governance.

In May 2020 he became the Cellcom workers' representative on the company board, and resigned in June 2020 after his appointment as Director General of the Knesset. He took office on June 21, 2020 and served one year until Gil Segal replaced him. He lives in Raanana, is married to Smadar and has 3 children.