By Linda Gradstein
A graduate of AMIT Bar Ilan, Amit Ashkenazi jokes that AMIT is so important to him it’s even his name. The VP of Global Sales at Tastewise, a company that predicts food and beverage trends worldwide, Amit connects the start of his success to his years at AMIT.
“My first name and my school were always a bit of a joke accompanying me in my life,” Amit said with a smile. “It’s one of those things that are funny at first and then after a while, you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s the first time I heard that,’” he added sarcastically.
In all seriousness, he credits his time at AMIT Bar Ilan High School for Boys in Petach Tikvah for leading him to perform his army service in the elite Egoz unit, which specializes in guerilla warfare against Hezbollah. To be accepted into Egoz, candidates must pass a series of physical tests as well as interviews. The competition is tough, and anyone accepted must also commit to up to an extra year of army service.
Amit recalls his interviewer asking about a challenge he had faced and overcome. At age 18, he wasn’t sure how to answer the question — until he remembered having to choose a subject for his major in high school. In Israel, most students choose one or two subjects to focus on and study intensively; then they take a bagrut, or matriculation, exam in those subjects for college.
Amit had already chosen chemistry, biotechnology, and physics, and wanted to add Arabic to his courseload. However, he and his teachers realized he would not be able to do all four subjects well, so he decided to drop Arabic.
“I knew I wanted to excel at what I do, so after consulting with my teachers, I decided to focus my efforts on the things that mattered most,” he said. “I told the interviewer I wanted to excel and be the best soldier I could be, and I was accepted to the unit.” It was his army service in Egoz, he said, that eventually led him to the path he is on today.
AMIT Connections Make a Difference
Amit grew up in Petach Tikvah, a working-class city about a half hour east of Tel Aviv. He is the third child in his family, born 12 years after his sister and 11 years after his brother.
But when he started at AMIT, almost all his neighborhood friends chose a different school — not an easy situation for a sixth grader. In the end, though, he sees it as a blessing.
“I think it allowed me to open up and see friends from different backgrounds, not only from the same city,” he said. “I’m still close with some of those friends today.”
For the first time, he was challenged academically, and his teachers provided both personal and educational guidance. Amit remembers his time at school as essential in forming his identity as a student and a person.
“The teenage years are not easy, especially these days,” he said. “You’re going through a lot of developments both personally and professionally. You start to learn, to study more seriously, to take your tests and exams. AMIT gave me everything I needed to succeed.”
“Everything” included the push to take the higher levels of math and science that would help him get accepted to university. The atmosphere at school was one of caring, camaraderie, and achievement. His teachers were role models who not only pushed him and his fellow students to excel, but somehow even managed to make studying seem cool. “It was cool to be that good student and to push each other to do better,” he said.
The classroom wasn’t the only area where Amit trusted his teachers. When they encouraged him to pursue activities outside of academics, he joined the basketball team, enjoying the outlet it gave him. He even consulted with them about his then-girlfriend Hadar, who later became his wife.
After the army, Amit studied psychology and business at Tel Aviv University, graduating first in his class. He and Hadar married, and Amit went on to earn a master’s degree in organizational consulting and begin working in the field of high tech.
Six years ago, the startup he was working for moved him and his family to New York. They went with one child, and two more were born while they were living in the U.S.
While he was in New York, a friend from AMIT put him in contact with the owners of Tastewise, and Amit came on board as VP of Global Sales, forming relationships with Fortune 500 companies. “I enjoy the fast-moving, challenging environment, penetrating an old-school traditional industry and showing them ways to create better products for the world,” he shared. Tastewise supports 80% of the world’s top food and beverage companies, including Mars, Campbell’s, PepsiCo, and Kraft Heinz.
Despite these global commitments, Amit and Hadar moved their family back to Petach Tikvah a few months ago. “Although I fly back and forth a lot, we wanted to come back and raise our kids here,” he said. “Basically, we wanted to come home.”
