Ohad Finkelstein has over 20 years of international business experience in the finance, hardware, software, internet, telecom, and VC industries in the US, Europe, and Asia. He is an expert on developing new markets and products, as well as restructuring and turning around processes.
Between Oct. 1998 – July 2002 Ohad Finkelstein served as Chairman, President, and CEO of the Interoute Telecom Group – (www.interoute.com) on behalf of the Sandoz Foundation of Switzerland (SFF) (one of the world’s largest private family foundations – (www.sandozfondation.ch ). He was called upon by the Sandoz foundation in 1998 as an international expert for telecom and turning-around companies. Transforming the company from a small pre-paid calling-card company to Europe’s largest Pan European Network and service provider. He raised over VALUE.5 billion in funding (equity only) for Interoute and has established operations in 45 European cities within 11 European countries and in the USA. The company has also built metropolitan area networks in 9 cities. Interoute’s product portfolio includes optical network services (dark fibre, wavelengths, SDH and co-locations), Internet services (Internet access and managed hosting) MPLS VPNs and communications services (carrier services and business communications). He has established customer portfolio which includes PTTs/ wholesale, Fortune 500, MNC’s, National and regional IXC’s CLESs, and wireless providers. He was responsible for all relations of Interoute with the regulator and lead the company in its aggressive strategy, local and international market positioning.
After four years and mission accomplished, Ohad has retired from the daily management tasks to remain on the Board of Directors.
Currently, he is heavily involved in private investments (his own…) , and as such is a board member in some of the most promising technological companies in the world. He takes active role in helping them develop into new markets and into their next phase. He is also consulting to several VC’s i.e. Frontierscapital (UK) (www.frontierscapital.com), Accel Partners (US & Europe) Pitango Ventures (Israel) etc…
Previously, Finkelstein held senior executive positions in various public companies in several different countries including the US and Israel.
Prior to joining Interoute, Finkelstein served as Senior Vice President International Sales and Vice President Global Operations for VocalTec Communications Ltd. A public company on the NASDAQ (www.vocaltec.com ) – a leading international software house developing and marketing voice and multimedia communications over packetized networks, the internet and intranets.
Finkelstein was also Director of Computers and peripherals at Eurocom Communications Ltd. and head of International activities at Packard Bell Electronics in the US at the time the largest PC manufacturer in the world until 1992.
He has also served as a senior advisor for I.D.E.A, a world leader in financial and economic analysis (www.ideagolbal.com) IDEAglobal focus is to provide independent, forward-looking actionable research on the global financial markets twenty-four hours a day.
He has been interviewed and contributed to the following publications among others:
Financial Times, Business Week, Telecommunications Magazine (International Edition), Communications International, Stern, Der Spiegel, International Herald Tribune, Communications Week, Global Telecoms Business Magazine, Communications News Magazine, Telecomunicaciones & Negocios, The Marker, Globes…
BOD’s memberships among others:
Interoute Telecom. - www.interoute.com
Frontiers Capital - www.frontierscapital.com
P-cube Inc. - www.p-cube.com
Qpass Inc. - www.qpass.com
Exanet Inc. - www.exanet.com
Kagoor Inc.- www.kagoor.com
Vcon Inc. - www.vcon.com (public in Pairs France )
-
Ohad holds bachelors degrees in Political Science and International Marketing from the University of California in Los Angels (UCLA).
He is a member of the UK IOD (Institute of Directors).
He is married to Talia and has 2 daughters. He is living and operating in Israel, UK, and the US.
