Mr. Chaim Katzman / Founder, Gazit-Globe Ltd

Chaim Katzman is the founder, controlling shareholder and Chairman of Gazit-Globe Ltd, a leading international real estate company listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE:GZT), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: GZT) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: GZT).  As Chairman, Mr. Katzman leads global operations, manages affiliate and subsidiary activities and oversees more than $US19 billion in assets in over 20 countries.   

Mr. Katzman is also the founder, controlling shareholder and Chairman of Norstar Holdings (formerly Gazit Inc.), the parent company of Gazit-Globe, the Chairman of Equity One, Inc. (NYSE: EQY), a leading shopping center developer and owner focused on urban communities, U.S. Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) he founded in 1992. He served as EQY Chairman & CEO from 1992 to 2006. Mr. Katzman also serves on the Board of First Capital Realty Inc. (TSX: FCR), Canada’s leading owner, developer and operator of supermarket- and pharmacy-anchored shopping centers. He served as FCR Chairman from 2000 to 2015. In 2008, following an investment by the Gazit Group, Mr. Katzman was appointed as Chairman of Atrium European Real Estate (VSX/Euronext Amsterdam: ATR), a leading real estate company that owns, operates and develops shopping centers in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2010, Mr. Katzman was appointed Chairman of Citycon Oyj (OMX: CTY), an owner, developer and operator of shopping centers in the Nordic and Baltic and the market leader in the Nordic shopping center sector. 

A pioneer of the retail investment and development industry, Mr. Katzman is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), the Real Estate Roundtable and the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE), and a trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

He received an LL.B. from Tel Aviv University Law School and serves as a trustee on the Board of Governors at Tel-Aviv University.

Mr. Katzman was the recipient and winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2010 Award in the Real Estate and Construction Services Category in Florida.

Mr. Katzman is a well-known civic leader, philanthropist and supporter of numerous organizations. In 2011, he founded the Gazit-Globe Real Estate Institute at Israel’s Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, a novel academic and research program focused on innovation and entrepreneurship in the real estate sector that will eventually offer a master’s degree in real estate with concentrations in housing, land use and real estate financing.