A significant addition has been made to the managerial staff at Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in light of the challenges ahead in the coming EuroLeague season. Outgoing CEO of Psagot Investments, Hagai Badash, will serve as CEO and will, together with deputy CEO Eli Drikes, lead the management team. Badash: “It’s like coming full circle.” Drikes: “Happy to have him.”
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By Amy Samin
As part of the preparations for the new challenges ahead in the new-format EuroLeague, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv has officially announced that the outgoing CEO of Psagot Investments, Hagai Badash, will serve as CEO and will, together with deputy CEO Eli Drikes, lead the management team.
Badash was the selection of the shareholders who, in light of the anticipated changes in the European arena, have chosen him to carry out a multi-year strategic organizational program, together with the existing administrative and managerial staff. Eli Drikes, as the deputy CEO, will continue to handle the areas of sales, marketing, and the daily operations of the club. Other than that, no other changes are expected in the composition of the managerial and administrative staff.
Badash, a valued and experienced manager in the business sector, announced several months ago that after 16 years with the company and four years as its chief executive officer, he would be retiring from the position of CEO of Psagot – Israel’s largest investment house, and setting off in a new direction. Under his management, the leading investment company produced record results in terms of both revenue and efficiency and profitability levels. He is expected to assume office as the new CEO of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in the coming months.
Badash played basketball for Maccabi Ramat Gan and also served as the captain of the Israeli National Team cadets. He enjoys sports in general and basketball in particular, and as an avowed fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv he has attended many of the team’s games in both the Israeli League and the EuroLeague.
Badash: “I would like to thank the shareholders for this appointment, which for me is like coming full circle. As a basketball player from an early age, and as a Maccabi fan, it’s the most natural thing in the world for me to contribute my management and business experience to the success of the team I have supported and followed all of my life. For me, Maccabi has always been a model for excellence, not only in sports but in general.”
“I view managing the club, and leading it alongside the shareholders, managers, and professional staff in the strategic reorganization in tandem with the new EuroLeague format, as a personal and professional challenge. Beyond that, I see tremendous importance in strengthening the enduring relationship of the club with its fans, who have been an essential part of the success of the team in the past and who are the key to its success in the future.”
Eli Drikes: “I have known Hagai for many years and I’m happy to have him join the management team. I have no doubt that his qualifications will be a significant help in facing the challenges in the years ahead.”
Club chairman Shimon Mizrahi: “This appointment was made in the framework of the club’s multi-year strategic plan headed by Eli and Hagai. This appointment is significant on many levels, that a man such as Hagai, who is considered a leader in the Israeli business world, who loves sports in general and basketball in particular, is taking this crucial role. I am certain he will skillfully face the new challenges ahead, and will lead the club on to glory. I promote this appointment with pride and pleasure, and wish him great success in the position.”
