Rambam Health Care Campus is proud and honored to bestow the 2019 Rambam Award upon Mr. Jacob Harpaz in recognition of his unwavering commitment to the people of Israel, his outstanding ethical and inspirational leadership of ISCAR with a people-centered business acumen, and with highest esteem for his visionary generosity, particularly with regard to Rambam Health Care Campus.
The hands-on leader of ISCAR, whose actions speak louder than words, Mr. Harpaz was born in 1951 in Kiryat Motzkin. He joined ISCAR after completing his technical engineering degree and while working in the metallurgical research laboratories at the Technion. During the Yom Kippur War, at the age of 22, Mr. Harpaz was wounded near the Suez Canal. Despite the injury, he proceeded to save the life of a fellow soldier, became a national hero, and was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Service.
Mr. Harpaz was deeply impressed by the way he was treated by ISCAR and the Wertheimers after he was wounded. His commitment to ISCAR is reflected by his gradual progression from working in development into sales and marketing. Believing in his potential, Eitan Wertheimer sent Mr. Harpaz to attend Harvard University’s prestigious Management Course (PMD), after which Mr. Harpaz was promoted to the position of marketing director. These advancements have only benefitted ISCAR and Mr. Harpaz credits the Wertheimer family’s culture and vision as the secret of ISCAR’s success.
Inspired by what was already a strong people-centered business ethic, Mr. Harpaz has led ISCAR with a marketing world view that stresses product quality, customer
relations, and corporate image - in that order. In 1994, he was appointed CEO of ISCAR and has subsequently received numerous awards honoring him for excellence in manufacturing and marketing campaigns. His world view clearly works - today ISCAR is the second largest company in the global carbide cutting tool industry.
Mr. Harpaz is as committed to his family, as to his company, and is married to Sarit. Together they raised three children who all work in high-tech industry and have five grandchildren.
In 2001, Mr. Harpaz was appointed president of the IMC Group, one of the world’s leading enterprises for metalworking products. He retained that position following ISCAR and IMC Group’s acquisition by Warren Buffet in 2006. Buffet views Mr. Harpaz as “the da Vinci of his craft.” Indeed, Mr. Harpaz’s commitment to quality includes a strong focus on staff retention,
team work, educational advancement, and philanthropy. These standards permeate the ISCAR culture and have impacted Rambam Health Care Campus through the company’s long-term and essential support of the hospital’s needs.
In acknowledgement of all the aforesaid, the Honorary Awards Committee has found Mr. Jacob Harpaz deserving of the 2019 Rambam Award.