The new owners of a controlling stake in the Shufersal retail chain, brothers Shlomo and Yossi Amirov, tried to appoint Professor Yitzhak Shapira, the deputy general director of the Ichilov hospital, as the chairman of the board of directors with a salary of 4 hours a week. This move received a negative reaction in economic circles. Before the Securities Market Supervision Authority could weigh in, the Ministry of Health intervened and blocked the appointment.
The Ministry of Health prohibited Professor Shapira from holding both positions simultaneously. However, they did leave open the possibility for him to join the board of directors if he implemented measures to prevent conflicts of interest. Originally, the Amir brothers wanted to hold the positions of general directors and chairman of the board of directors themselves, but this was prevented by securities market management. As a result, they appointed themselves as general directors, and Shapira was supposed to be a ceremonial chairman of the board.
The attempt to appoint Professor Shapira to a leadership position in Shufersal led to a broader discussion in the economic sphere. Amidst the controversy, attention turned to the complexities of combining roles in such influential organizations. The Ministry of Health’s intervention highlighted the importance of maintaining transparency and preventing conflicts of interest in high-profile positions. While the episode ultimately did not result in Professor Shapira taking on the role of chairman of the board, it served as a reminder of the scrutiny and accountability that come with leadership positions in major corporations.