Shlomo Yanai

Shlomo Yanai was born in 1952 in Holon

Shlomo Yanai was born on May 18, 1952, in Holon to parents who survived the Holocaust. After his mother fell ill, he lived for 2 years in a boarding home for orphans run by the Ponevezh Yeshiva. He then moved in with his older brother in Tel Aviv and attended the Zeitlin religious high school.

He joined the IDF in August 1970 and first served in the Military Police, since his request for a combat post was refused. He later moved to the Armored Corps and was badly wounded in the Yom Kippur War. He went on to command battalions, brigades and divisions, and became a major general in 1996.

He earned bachelor's degrees in political science and economics, and in general history, at Tel Aviv University. He also studied at the National Defense University in Washington and completed a master's degree at George Washington University.

After leaving the army in 2002, he was CEO of Makhteshim Agan from 2003 to 2006. He led Teva from 2007 to May 2012, a period of growth through company acquisitions. He later chaired the boards of Cambrex and Protalix and served on other boards.

Since 2015 he has chaired the ELEM association, and in 2021 he joined the state commission of inquiry into the Meron disaster. He lives in Ramat Raziel with his wife Ahuva, and they have 3 children.