Orit Farkash-Hacohen

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[[1]]Orit Farkash-Hacohen

Background

Orit Farkash-Hacohen is Israel's Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

Education

Minister Farkash-Hacohen is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner.

Details:

• Harvard University - MPA, 2006 – 2007

• Harvard Kennedy School - MPA, 2006 – 2007

• Member of the Israeli Bar Association, 1995

• The Hebrew University, Faculty of Law, Jerusalem, Israel. L.L.B. - Bachelor’s Degree Law, 1990 – 1993

• Harvard elctricity policy group (HEPG), Member, 2017

Career

• June 2021 - present, The Israeli parliament - Knesset

• March 2019 - Present, Knesset member (MK) finance committee, The Israeli Parliament (KNESSET)

In May 2020, she was appointed Minister of Strategic Affairs in the new government. After Asaf Zamir's resignation from the government, in October 2020 Farkash-Hacohen left the Ministry of Strategic Affairs to replace Zamir as Minister of Tourism.

• March 2017 - present, Partner, Head of energy, infrastructure projects and regulation department, Goldfarb Seligman

• 2016 – Jan 2018, Visiting fellow at Harvard University, Harvard Kennedy School

• 2011 – Jan 2016, Chairperson and General Director, The Israeli Public Utilities (Electricity) Authority

Duties: Head of the Israeli electricity regulatory agency, an independent government authority, managing the largest economic market in Israel. Appointed by the Government and Ministers of Energy and Finance.

Leading the agency through a time of historic market change and great challenges, including the restructuring of the Israeli energy market; the introduction of competition and 40% private producers; introduction of the renewable energy industry; significant natural gas findings and the creation of a natural gas market in Israel.

Managing a team of more than 60 professionals.

Chairing the Board of Commissioners while publishing hundreds of rulings and public hearings in various economic issues i.e, market structure, competition, prevention of market concentration, licensing, tariff models, financing supportive regulation (for IPP's who are project financed), examining financial models, reviewing natural gas contracts, updating regulation rules in order to protect investments.

Negotiating with private (domestic and international) players in the market.

Maintaining constant dialogue with stakeholders and international investors in their process of financial closings while successfully enabling 6 billion shekels worth of private investments.

Regulating Israel's Electricity Company, the biggest state owned Utility.

Representing Israel abroad before potential investors' forums.

Working closely with other governmental bodies: including the Israel Securities Authority, the Anti-Trust Authority, the Land Authority, the Governmental Companies Authority, and especially the Ministry of Finance.

Fostering deep and formal collaboration agreements with leading European regulatory agencies.

• 2012 – 2013, Lecturer, Energy Law, The College of law and business, Faculty of law

• 2003 – 2010, General Legal Counsel, PUA

Duties: Chief legal officer of the Authority. Head of the legal department at the Authority and Legal adviser to the Board of Commissioners. Participated in fashioning and molding the authority’s policy and regulation in various areas, including project finance supportive regulation, aimed at introducing private players in the energy market, significant reforms that were ultimately implemented during my Chairmanship. Represented the authority in various court cases and governmental steering committees.

• 1998 – 2003, The Israeli Antitrust Authority, Litigation Section chief, Legal department

Duties: Supervised, managed ,litigated and enforced anti-trust legislation in different economic markets and sectors in Israel . Negotiated and dealt with senior executives, legal counsel and governmental representatives and Committees. Reviewed prospective commercial mergers and restrictive agreements based on legal and economic research and comparative law. Determined the existence of monopolies and reviewed commercial agreements based on legal, economic and comparative law research.

• 1993 – 1997, E.S. Shimron, I. Molho, Persky and Co. Law Offices, Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Israel, Intern and later an attorney

General practice in one of Israel’s most prominent and established law firms, specializing in civil, commercial law and litigation.

• 1992 – 1993, Law clerk in the Jerusalem Supreme Court, The Israeli Supreme court