Title Economic Minister to North America Company Government of Israel Bio Nili Shalev, Israel’s Economic Minister to North America, has more than 20 years of experience representing the Ministry of Industry and Trade in a wide range of executive positions. Appointed to her present position in the summer of 2011, Nili is responsible for promoting trade and investment between North America and Israel. Prior to her recent appointment, Ms. Shalev served as the Director of the International Projects and Financing Department at the Foreign Trade Administration in the Ministry of Industry Trade and Labor. She managed several multimillion dollar funds in order to promote and finance Israeli industries. In 2010 Ms. Shalev was the Executive Director of the Foreign Trade Administration elite cadet course for commercial attaché’s. From 2008-2010, Ms. Shalev was employed in the private sector as Marketing Director for Miya, an Arison Group company that offers comprehensive water efficiency solutions for municipalities. Ms. Shalev was responsible for the company’s marketing strategy and managed its launch in the international market. From 2004 – 2008, Ms Shalev served as the Israeli Trade Commissioner in Australia and New Zealand. In this position, Shalev was instrumental in initiating and concluding the first R&D agreement between the State of Victoria and Israel. During her tenure, several financial groups initiated activities in Israel, and cultivated business relationships in the areas of high technology, infrastructure and cleantech. Since first joining the Ministry of Industry Trade and Labor in 1995, Ms Shalev held several other senior positions. She was the Director of the Government SEED Fund at the Office of the Chief Scientist, a multimillion dollar support program aimed at providing incentives for prospective investors in Israeli high-tech start-up companies. She also served as the Advisor to the Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Prior to that, she was Deputy Director of the North American Division in the Ministry’s Foreign Trade Administration. Ms. Shalev holds an MBA (1996) , an MA in Communications (1996) and a BA in International Relations (Cum Laude, 1989-1992), from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is married with two children.