Arkia: Israel Airlines' CEO Israel Borovich on strategic alliances and growth

Arkia Israel Airlines was established in 1949 by El Al, Israel's national a irline, and the Histadrut Labor Federation, the biggest employees' union in Israel. The move was encouraged by the Israeli government to establish an air link between central Israel and the then southern outpost, Eilat. Initi ally, the company served as a domestic airline only, and engaged solely in aviation. In 1980, Arkia became the first state company in Israel to be pri vatized, its new owners being Kanaf Arkia and the company's employees. Arki a is presently owned by Knafaim-Arkia Holdings Ltd. (75 percent), a company that is publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and by its employe es (25 percent). Israel Borovich has been president and CEO of Arkia Israel Airlines since 1 989. He hers a B.Sc. in industrial engineering (1967), an M.Sc. in industri al engineering (1988), and a Ph.D. in operations research (1970). A profess or of computers and information systems at the Faculty of Management, Tel A viv University, he hers conducted research since 1987 on the economics and management of information systems. He has been a member of the Tel Aviv Uni versity Executive Council since 1998, and is a member of the Board of Direc tors of the lnterdisciplinary Center in Herzlia. He was a member of the Tel Aviv Council, member of the City Executive Board, and head of the Transpor tation Division (1993-1998): chairman, Information Association of Israel (I PA) director, The Marcel and Annie Adams Institute for Business Management Information Systems, Tel Aviv University: visiting professor at a number of U.S. universities; manager, Computer Center, Tel Aviv University: chairman , Information Systems program, Faculty of Management, Tel Aviv University: member of the Executive Committee of the Advertisers Association of Israel (1993-1998); and chairman and founder of the Transportation and Aviation Ce nter, Faculty of Management, Tel Aviv University. He is the author of a num ber of books and many articles in leading journals.