With the Faculty of the Ohayon Board Excellence Center and Adv. Michel Ohayon
A must for all corporate stakeholders
The course has launched — registration is still open for new participants
Upon registration you'll receive access to the first session recording and course materials, and can join from the next upcoming session.
Professional Faculty
The lecturers in the Ohayon Center's directors course were carefully selected, based on familiarity with their professional experience, the quality of their teaching, and the value they bring to participants.
The course brings together a distinguished and diverse faculty, from the business, financial, legal, and regulatory worlds. Each brings practical knowledge, field experience, and insights accumulated through work with boards, management teams, and complex decision-making processes.
The lectures combine real-world examples, practical tools, and critical thinking, aimed at giving participants broad vision alongside practical action capability. The faculty operates according to the professional standard led by Adv. Michel Ohayon and with the approval of the Professional Advisory Committee.

Adv. Raz Even-Har

Lior Agai, CPA

Tamar Adler

Adv. Michel Ohayon

Dr. Eli El Al, PhD, CPA, ASA

Eli Goldstein, CPA

Adv. Amiram Gill

Dr. Estri Gilaz-Ran, CPA

Prof. Hadas Gelander, PhD, CPA

Adv. Ram Jeanne

Hayim Cohen

Yulia Levy, CPA

Adv. Meytal Liberman
Expert in trusts in Israel and abroad.

Dr. Izhak Lax, Adv.

Esti Lariach, CPA

Adv. Raanan Lerner

Itamar Nevo

Jos Neuhaus, CPA

Liana Solomon

Zvi Stepak

Dr. Asher Idan

Evgenia Kremer, CPA

Adv. Ronen Rosenbloom

Idit Shnir, CPA

Dr. Rami Sasson, Adv.

Bashar Kassem - بشار قاسم

Adv. Gal Shargil-Yaari, Esq.



Honor
We are honored to announce a professional partnership with Mr. Ralph Ward, widely regarded as the leading board governance expert in the United States. His consulting and training firm — BI — has published 7 groundbreaking books on board leadership, as well as his acclaimed magazine on board governance topics. Ralph has graciously agreed to share the knowledge and insights he has developed over many years with the community of directors and executives in Israel.
Ralph and we are collaborating on the development of a unique international program for the training of board chairs — see below.
Who Is This For?
Our "Director Track" is especially suited for:
Anyone looking to break into the board world — seriously
Sitting directors who want to do more than just get by — they want to get better at the things that matter
Senior executives who want a clearer picture of how the board and management connect
Lawyers, CPAs, finance pros, regulators, strategists, internal auditors, company secretaries — anyone in the corporate governance orbit
People who've already taken a directors' course but feel like key topics are still missing
What You Get
The program was built specifically for the director's role, weaving together business, legal, and financial know-how with decision-making processes, corporate governance, and practical board tools.
The first module gives directors a broad business foundation: strategy, business model, business plan, financial statements, budgets, KPIs, benchmarking, corporate finance, valuations, risk management, and more.
The course is led by Adv. Michel Ohayon and a standout faculty of leading experts in law, finance, accounting, capital markets, risk management, strategy, and corporate governance.
The course runs through real board topics hands-on: decision-making, approving financial statements, strategy discussions, reviewing material transactions, executive compensation, drafting minutes, and more.
Throughout the course, participants pick up tools, working methods, and thinking frameworks that help them act more professionally, responsibly, and confidently as directors. By graduation, it all adds up to a complete director's toolkit.
The course fee is dramatically lower than comparable director training programs — in some cases 60–90% less — relative to the hours, content quality, and caliber of faculty. The low price comes straight from Michel's drive to spread board excellence and the values of the Ohayon Center to anyone who wants it.
The program was built on proven international models for training program design, including the CBE model, blending knowledge, methodologies, and professional approaches from Israel and around the world. The partnership with Ralph Ward and Boardroom Insider — among the leading names in board governance in the United States — plugs participants into the most advanced professional standards, concepts, and tools out there.
The course runs online at convenient hours, so managers, professionals, and busy folks can join from anywhere. Every session is recorded, so participants can catch up on missed classes, review key content, and refresh their knowledge after each session.
Graduates can be listed in the Ohayon Center's directors database, published on the Center's website — subject to their consent and submission of the relevant details.
Graduates get access to the Ohayon Center's professional advisory service for 6 months after finishing the course, at no extra cost.
Participants learn how to gear up for the role, which documents to review, which questions to ask, how to get ready for board meetings, and how to understand the scope of a director's responsibility and influence.
Graduates join the Ohayon Club and enjoy exclusive perks, professional updates, events, activities, and content tailored for directors and corporate stakeholders.
When you finish the course, you'll get a professional Certificate of Completion jointly issued by the Ohayon Board Excellence Center and Boardroom Insider — a credential designed to open doors, subject to meeting course requirements. Preview a sample certificate.
A new, comprehensive workbook built especially for Director Track graduates (dozens of pages) — "My Personal Roadmap for Directorship Candidacy." It's there to help you take everything you've built over your career — knowledge, experience, achievements, and connections — and turn it into a clearer, sharper, and more compelling directorship candidacy. Preview cover page.
Ahead of the final exam, there's a comprehensive review session with 100 questions that sum up the core topics from the whole track. It lets participants lock in their knowledge, spot gaps, and walk into the exam better prepared and more confident. From there, they take a concluding digital exam, with guidance all the way through to a successful finish and receipt of the certificate of completion.
Intro
For decades, Adv. Michel Ohayon has been Israel's leading and most pioneering voice in director and board excellence — training, mentoring, and continuing to mentor directors and board chairs. Now he's opening up a course to the general public — the best course in Israel at the lowest price in Israel. For Michel, this is a personal mission he took on decades ago.
The course you're looking at is the product of decades of Michel's work in decision-making and board governance, backed by his unique background in curriculum design. It was built over many months to be precisely tailored to the director's role.
Michel coined the phrase "Being a director is a profession", and he developed and led Israel's first-ever directors course (in partnership with the Institute of CPAs) as well as the first dedicated program for training board chairs in Israel.
Michel set the precedent that external directors must meet special qualification requirements — and his call made it into the Companies Law in 2005.
You'll find that this course is truly unique — fundamentally different from any other director training program out there — to the point that even people who have already taken directors' courses will find content and perspectives that might just make them want to take this one too.
This is a course we are proud to declare —
26 reasons that set this course apart from every other board directors course in Israel
This is the only course in Israel built on internationally proven instructional models for curriculum design, including the CBE model. See below;
This is the only course in Israel created by the developer of the groundbreaking Effective Board Model — recognized in Israel as the leading model of its kind, and acclaimed internationally;
This is the only course in Israel designed for the general public and personally led by Michel, who brings decades of deep experience in these fields. Previously, Michel developed and led courses for a range of sectors (see his professional background below). He then moved on to training for organic boards, and has now built a course for the general public in Israel, under the Ohayon Center for Board Excellence;
This is the only course in Israel built by someone with decades of multidisciplinary experience across every knowledge domain of board governance — in Israel and abroad;
This is the only course in Israel built by someone with a proven track record (including extensive IDF service and civilian training units) in designing specialized, purpose-built training programs for diverse audiences with different professional backgrounds;
This is the only course in Israel built by a seasoned designer with a gift for explanation and a highly regarded reputation as a lecturer (see below);
This is the only course in Israel personally run by Michel — known for his relentless pursuit of excellence, rigorous management standards, and a proven eye for selecting Israel's finest lecturers, who will deliver roughly half the curriculum;
This is the only course in Israel where the professional facilitator — Michel — attends every session, and during lectures that aren't his own, adds his professional guidance;
This is the only course in Israel where participants get the agenda and outline for every session and lecture;
This is the only course in Israel where participants receive a prep brief for each lecture, with 4–5 preparatory questions per lecture;
This is the only course in Israel where the facilitator reviews lecturers' slides in advance — refining, critiquing, and improving them;
This is the only course in Israel where, thanks to tight management, lecturers never overlap, and nothing "falls through the cracks";
This is the only course in Israel where learning is active — participants will be expected to "do their homework" (just as they would before real board meetings);
This is the only course in Israel where, throughout the course, participants receive ready-to-use professional tools for the director's role, building up into a complete, well-rounded toolkit;
This is the only course in Israel where one module covers business administration — what we call the "MBA for Directors" module — spanning about 20 hours (see the three course modules below);
This is the only course in Israel where board work simulations kick in as early as the first session, right in the first lecture;
This is the only course in Israel that gives artificial intelligence — AI — its rightful place in the boardroom, complete with live simulations of AI tools in action;
This is the only course in Israel where we teach what "board thinking" is, what "board language" is, what makes a "board-level question," and what "board-level listening" means;
This is the only course in Israel where the right emphasis is placed on blending essential theory with hands-on practice;
This is the only course in Israel where the "fear approach" (somewhat overused elsewhere) around director liability is not front and center — instead, we focus on how to do the job professionally, with proper norms, and with real confidence;
This is the only course in Israel backed by an international endorsement from the No. 1 board coach in North America and beyond — Mr. Ralph Ward;
This is the only course in Israel where one of the signatories on the completion certificates is an international corporate governance expert, the world's leading board coach, and author of 7 must-have books for any director's library — Mr. Ralph Ward;
This is the only course in Israel where graduates get six months of free mentoring and advisory access through the Ohayon Center's "red phone" hotline;
This is the only course in Israel where graduates receive ongoing updates from the Ohayon Center on board governance topics;
This is the only course in Israel with dedicated units on how boards work in specialized entities — public companies, government-owned, pension funds, banking, high-tech and biotech, municipal, nonprofits, and more;
This is the only course in Israel where earning a certificate means passing a final exam of 100 director-relevant questions with a score of at least 85, plus attendance in at least 80% of sessions and/or a summary paper.
In short
this is the first and only course in Israel that uniquely and convincingly passes the ultimate cost-benefit test.
"Being a director is a profession."
Coined by Adv. Michel Ohayon (Maariv Business, December 1989)
Development & Methodology
Michel brings years of expertise in building specialized training programs, drawing on proven international instructional models.
Michel ran a rigorous, deep-dive occupational analysis of the director's role, zeroed in on the unique "test situations" that come with the job, and defined the competencies required to handle them well.
Mapping out those test situations and competencies led to a detailed breakdown of the knowledge domains and real-world scenarios directors have to navigate — and therefore need to study and practice.
Michel didn't stop there — he also defined the best teaching methods and illustration tools for training directors on exactly the topics and scenarios they'll face.
Directors are required to make decisions;
Directors are required to make business decisions;
Directors are required to make collective business decisions;
Directors are required to make collective business decisions based on information provided by others;
Directors are required to make collective business decisions based on information provided by others, in dynamic and changing conditions;
Directors are required to make collective business decisions based on information provided by others, in dynamic and changing conditions — while others are responsible for implementing and executing those decisions.
From there, Michel organized all the knowledge domains and scenarios into three essential learning modules — a complete, professionally designed response to the test situations and competencies identified:
Curriculum
Module One
Business Administration for Directors
Module Two
Decision-Making Processes
Module Three – Corporate Governance, Integrations & Simulations

It's no secret that some directors step into the role without a solid grip on the fundamentals of business administration. That gap shows up loud and clear in board meetings. In the first module, we cover the business administration content that matters most to directors, including:
In this module, we dig deep into the following:
This module ties the first two together through the lens of effective, proper, and sound corporate governance, with integrations and simulations of every test situation and scenario. Here we dig deep into:
We'll study and practice about 30 topics that come up again and again on board agendas. Here's a partial list:
For every topic — we'll give you solid examples of how to draft the protocol, with the key discussion points and the right decisions.
Turning theory into professional mastery
Three modules — 67 academic hours
We will study and practice approximately 30 topics that regularly appear on board agendas
For each topic, we will provide practical examples of how to draft proper minutes — including the key discussion points and appropriate resolutions.
Lead Lecturer

Professional Profile
Adv. Michel Ohayon has spent over 38 years specializing in decision-making processes, with a real focus on decision-making at the board level. He brings rare expertise in both everyday and high-stakes decisions, and years of experience advising boards and senior management teams.
Our approach blends multidisciplinary expertise with a relentless drive for excellence. We work hard to live up to our standard — Excellence in everything we do.
Our thinking, analysis, legal strategy, and tactics are all grounded in years of deep, well-rounded, hands-on experience — the kind that only comes from people who have actually been there and done it.
Client Acceptance Policy:
"We represent clients who act with integrity and professional and business ethics. We believe in thoughtful, balanced business conduct that takes into account all company stakeholders. We do not represent clients who operate by corrupt business codes, who deceive, steal, or intentionally harm their partners or investors... While they certainly have the right to legal representation, we will not represent them at any price. They will surely find other counsel."
Law degree, Tel Aviv University, graduated March 1987
Internship: 18 months at Goldfarb, Levy, Eran — specializing in corporate and securities law, under the guidance of Adv. Oded Eran, z"l, and Adv. Yudi Levy
Remained at the same firm for 4 years as an associate and 2 years as a partner.
Founded Michel Ohayon & Co., Advocates (1996).
Has advised, over decades, on transactions, acquisitions, structural changes, and public and private offerings for major Israeli companies and conglomerates, including the Elco-Electra Group — personally accompanying its founder, Gershon Zelkind, z"l, who was Michel's mentor in the business world.
"Being a director is a profession."
(Moshe Gorali, Maariv Business, December 1989)
Combat medic, commander of a combat medics course, outstanding officer in the Medical Corps. Michel completed his law degree through Tel Aviv University's evening program while simultaneously serving as head of an instructional development team and deputy education officer at the Military Medical School ("Base 10"), which was — and remains — the IDF's leading training base.
Between 2010 and 2014, Michel doubled down on his years of board research, focusing it on building a model for board effectiveness. Part One lays out what it takes to build an effective board and how to get there; Part Two sets out a detailed methodology for evaluating how effective a board really is.
In 2015, Michel was selected — through a competitive tender that included several consulting firms and two "Big 5" firms — to present his model to the Government Companies Authority. Michel and one of the Big 5 firms made it to the finals, each invited to present their model independently.
After roughly 10 months of thorough evaluation by the Government Companies Authority, Michel's model was chosen as the one to be rolled out across all Israeli government-owned companies.
The Government Companies Authority published a formal circular on the matter in August 2017, effective November 2017. The model booklet authored by Adv. Ohayon is available on the Authority's website.
After implementation and lessons learned, the model was redesigned in 2025 and is set to be distributed both in Israel and internationally — primarily across OECD and G-20 countries.
Michel founded the Ohayon Board Excellence Center, named in memory of his brother, Corporal Maxim Ohayon, z"l — 10.10.1973.
The Center is a professional hub that brings together under one roof a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive, and accessible knowledge base for directors and boards, along with a suite of specialized professional services built for boards and their members.
Check out our website — director.org.il. Membership in the Ohayon Board Excellence Center is free.
Our professional vision — the approach we develop, lead, and implement:
"Turning the Board into the Main Factor in Creating the Company Values"
This is the most comprehensive working tool ever built for directors in general, and for directors of government-owned companies in particular. "Direktori" is a methodological resource that lets any director quickly find all the relevant information and knowledge on roughly 52 topics that regularly show up on board agendas.
This is entirely Michel's own work — there's nothing else like it in Israel or anywhere else in the world.
Direktori was first published in July 2017. It's been distributed to every director of a government-owned company and is handed to each new director when they step into the role.
Knowledge, Experience & Excellence — in One Course
Ohayon Board Excellence Center
Books & Publications
(Co-authored with Adv. Yudi Levy, Bursi Publishing) — This book walked practitioners through how to implement the first landmark amendment to Israel's Companies Ordinance — Amendment No. 4.
"The commentary before us is the first serious attempt to tackle Amendment No. 4 systematically — both in fine interpretive detail and in the broader sense of its 'geometric place' and significance within the body of corporate law. The authors, who rank among Israel's finest corporate law practitioners, have left no provision unturned...
The book speaks to two audiences: the legislator looking for lessons ahead of future legislation — already knocking at the door — and the practitioner: the judge, attorney, accountant, or corporate officer up against tough interpretive questions that demand answers. Both will find in this work a treasure trove of fascinating material — tested in the crucible of the authors' practice and examined in the cool light of legal theory."— Prof. Uriel Procaccia, Senior Member of the Barak Commission (headed by former Supreme Court President Prof. Aharon Barak)
(Pyramid Publishing) — The official textbook for investment advisors and portfolio managers in banks and investment management firms, used for the Investment Advisory and Portfolio Management licensing examinations administered by the Israel Securities Authority. Together with the book, a training program was developed for investment advisors and portfolio managers to pass the Israel Securities Authority licensing examinations.
"Those active in the Israeli capital market have long felt the absence of a comprehensive foundational text... Adv. Michel Ohayon deserves real credit for taking on this challenging and fascinating task... The result is a compelling book that gives the entire capital market a uniquely valuable contribution — one with no equivalent anywhere."— Da'at LeMida'at
(Israeli School of Corporate and Capital Market Studies) — Published after Israel's Companies Law was enacted. This book turned the Companies Law into practical, real-world application and is still considered a leading work in the field today. Michel served as the Bar Association's representative — and in some sessions, the Institute of CPAs' representative too — through five years of weekly Knesset deliberations on the Companies Law and its regulations.
"It was a real pleasure to read your book... I have to start by acknowledging your substantial work and help to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee as the Bar Association's representative, while it labored over this important legislation... You've succeeded in bringing clarity and order to the complexity of the law's provisions."— Ret. Justice Shlomo Shoham, Legal Advisor to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee
"Your distinctive style, the clarity of the writing, and the way you bring the material to life for the reader... rightly earn you an important place in the study, understanding, and application of this significant law."— CPA Ronen Barel, Managing Partner of EY Israel
"This book tackles, in a most serious way, a clear need that comes out of such sweeping legislation. The ability to cover the subject comprehensively and still dig deep where it matters — that's commendable. A must-read for accountants and CFOs."— CPA Avi Berger, Managing Partner of PwC Israel
Articles and professional publications: Michel has published widely, on topics like — protecting the small investor, reading financial statements for directors, director and officer liability, the IFRS revolution, capital market and corporate law reforms, responsibility for financial statements, board failures at companies like Teva, and how to handle a "toxic board" (co-authored with Dr. Keren Bar-Hava, Head of the Accounting Department at the Hebrew University) — and many more.
"Turning the Board into the Main Factor in Creating the Company Values"
Ohayon Board Excellence Center
Lectures & Appearances
This lecture walks through how Michel built his "Effective Board Model" — adopted by Israel's Government Companies Authority after beating out 5 competing models, including international ones. The Authority rolled it out across all government-owned companies. The model lays out what it takes to run an effective board, how to gauge its maturity, and how to measure its effectiveness. The lecture covers roughly 150 distinct board failures and 50 real-world case studies — broken down into the four weak spots: information quality, the board chair, the directors, and decision-making processes. It walks through real-world examples of how to build and maintain quality information, a strong board chair, top-notch directors, and sound decision-making. It also lays out the methodologies for evaluating board effectiveness, efficiency, and maturity.
This one-of-a-kind lecture takes you through how corporate governance norms took shape in Israel over the past four decades. From unchecked corporate power to balanced governance with real checks and balances — institutional investors, activist funds, and the rise of accountability. It covers the major economic and business events, legislation, regulatory norms, and court rulings, from the 1983 banking stock crash — the Beisky Commission Report — to today. You'll see the key legal milestones in corporate law, from the Mandatory-era Companies Ordinance (1929) through 70 years of evolution to the Companies Law (passed in 1999), landmark rulings like the "Bank Tsafon America Affair", debt restructurings and write-downs, famous derivative and class action suits, and more.
Just how central and consequential the articles of association are in shaping ownership, control, and management — and how to draft them the right way. The lecture comes with practical templates, capped off by a modular articles framework you can adapt to any company type or purpose.
In 1998, Michel proposed that candidates for the role of "external director" be required to demonstrate professional qualifications. At the time, a vocal coalition opposed him — including a senior official at the Ministry of Justice and the then-Chair of the Israel Securities Authority. The proposal was rejected — but the rest is history: his proposal was adopted through Amendment No. 3 to the Companies Law in 2005, which established: "An external director shall be appointed if they have professional qualifications or accounting and financial expertise, provided that at least one external director has accounting and financial expertise." And as has already been said — "Being a director is a profession."
▪ Member of the Friends Association of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization, and its pro bono legal advisor.
Learning experiences, insights, and recommendations from the May 2026 cohort
Watch our course graduates share their experience, insights, and the tools they took with them
Read what our graduates say about the content, faculty, and professional value they received

Dalit Ofek Bokai
Director at a Municipal Corporation and Founder of the TEMI Initiative

Adv. Raz Even-Har
Founding Partner, Naveh, Even-Har, Sachai, Orinstein Law Firm

Haim Yisraeli
CEO, Beit Horim Ltd.

Arnon Tzabari
Director

Yaniv Elroi Bandet
Strategic & Systems Consultant for Executives, Boards, and Entrepreneurs

Matan Ben Asher
Software Developer and Director in Non-Profits

Roi Mimon
Former Senior Manager at Bank Leumi and Member of the 100 Forum
Miri Bender
Amal Network
Riham Hutba
Software Engineer, Entrepreneur, and Senior Executive
Yossi Shapira
CEO
Alex Shaham
Consultant to Company Managers
Y. L.
Entrepreneur and Senior Executive
M. B.
Head of Operations at a Large Organization
A. T.
Director at National Subsidiary Companies
A. N.
Former Credit Referent at a Bank
A. A.
Marketing Manager at an International Biotech Company
(Partial list)
The course will be held online on Mondays and Wednesdays, 17:15–19:45 — 17 sessions — 51 academic hours. Certificates of completion will be awarded to participants who attend at least 80% of sessions and pass a final exam or submit a review paper.
The new Ohayon Center website has launched. Visit: Director.org.il
An expanded glossary with advanced search capabilities, covering all the terms directors and stakeholders need to know — in both Hebrew and English.
A specialized advanced program developed by Michel and led under his direct professional management.
For 15 years, Michel's pocket notebook has been a bestseller among thousands of directors. It is updated annually. Eight editions have been published in Hebrew — and recently in English as well (adapted for the generic language of boards outside Israel).
Following implementation of the model first developed in 2014 and lessons learned, the model was redesigned in 2025 and is expected to be distributed primarily to OECD and G-20 member nations.
Another specialized program developed by Michel — an innovative program on a global scale — in collaboration between the Ohayon Center and the No. 1 board governance expert in the United States — Mr. Ralph Ward.
Our goal is to export our models and extensive knowledge base to countries that speak English, French, Russian, and Arabic.
A landmark publication that will consolidate Michel's diverse, multi-decade expertise in corporate governance, decision-making processes, and board governance. Planned for release in English in partnership with a leading international publisher.
It should be noted that for each of the training programs, courses, and professional publications above, all knowledge domains required adaptation to the appropriate methodology and illustration tools. Development was carried out according to the most advanced models for curriculum design.
In summary: we encourage you to register on our website — so you can stay updated on the launches of the above projects and new ones. Registration and membership in the Ohayon Center is free of charge.
FAQ
Join Us
Registration is open — you can join right now!
New participants get immediate access to all session recordings held so far and all course materials.
Director Track
Sessions
17 Sessions | 51 Academic Hours
Course Days
Monday + Wednesday
Hours
17:15 – 19:45
Sessions via Zoom
May 4, 2026
Join now — immediate access to all recordings & materials.
Certificate jointly issued by the Ohayon Board Excellence Center and Boardroom Insider — a credential designed to open doors.
* 80%+ attendance + final exam or review paper
Group Discounts
* Discounts cannot be combined.
Director Track
NIS 944
VAT included
An exceptionally low fee — in some cases 60–90% less than comparable programs.
Michel set this price to open this learning experience to everyone — and to push Israeli corporate governance toward excellence.
What's Included
In doing so, Michel also honors the memory of his brother, Cpl. Maxim Ohayon, z"l (10.10.1973), in whose name the Center was founded.
Credit Card
A digital invoice will be sent by email.
Full refund within 7 business days of registration.
Bank Transfer
Account: Ohayon Center for Board Excellence Ltd.
Bank Hapoalim / Branch 410 (Shoham) / Account 148288
Company no. 51-475026-4
After transfer, email proof to contact@director.org.il
A comparative review of director training programs in Israel is available in the Public Committee report on Director Recruitment & Training in Government Companies (Feb 2025) — Click here (pp. 71–119).