Shiri Winter-Mersel is Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at the Shalom Hartman Institute, where she shapes strategy and leads its implementation across the organization.
As CEO, Shiri oversees the Institute’s core organizational functions – financial management, infrastructure, data systems, and organizational culture. She plays a central role in cross-organizational initiatives and the Institute’s external relationships, including strategic partnerships with NGOs and business leaders and donor cultivation. She also leads the strategic development of the Institute’s Board – cultivating board relationships, deepening member engagement, and leading director recruitment. On the programmatic side, she is actively involved in developing and refining the Institute’s educational offerings, and is the founder and director of Mishmeret, a flagship leadership initiative for senior Israeli leaders engaging questions of Jewish identity, democratic values, and public responsibility.
She serves as an External Director on the Board of Directors of the Israel Credit Insurance Company (ICIC) and as a board member of the Hebrew University Secondary School “Leyada.” She also volunteers as a mentor with Ogen, supporting emerging CEOs. Prior to joining Hartman, Shiri held roles in finance and the public sector, including at the Prime Minister’s Office, the Knesset, and the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies. She also served as VP for Insurance at Inbal Insurance Company, where she led the Self-Insurance Fund.
She holds a BA (with honors) in Economics and Sociology, and an MA in Economics and Business Management from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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. An avid sports enthusiast, she enjoys a wide range of physical activities.
