Shiri Winter Mersel is Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at the Shalom Hartman Institute, where she shapes strategy and oversees its implementation. 

As CEO, Shiri is responsible for upgrading financial management; cultivating organizational culture; developing and modifying educational programs; growing partnerships with donors; expanding and improving infrastructure and data systems; and steering cross-organizational processes. In addition, she initiates and leads strategic partnerships with government offices, NGOs, and business leadership. 

She previously served as Vice President of Insurance for Inbal Insurance Company Ltd., where she managed the self-insurance of the state of Israel. She initiated and led risk management to prevent medical malpractice damages and damages to school students, created an innovative model for national preparedness for catastrophic damage, and led complex international insurance transactions. 

Prior to this, she held positions in the Prime Minister’s Office, the Knesset, and the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies. She holds an Bachelor’s degree (with honors) in Economics and Sociology, and a Master’s in Economics and Business Management from Hebrew University. 

Beyond her position at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Shiri is as a board member of the Leyada – Hebrew University Secondary School and serves as a leader in an organization that brings together Israeli and Palestinian leadership. In her spare time, she is a long-distance runner. 

Shiri was born in Kibbutz Dafna in the Upper Galilee and grew up in Carmiel. After serving as an officer in the IDF Education Corps, she moved to Jerusalem, where she currently lives with her three children.