Our Team //

Shalom Simhon is co-founder and Board Chair of Demeter-AWE Holdings, LTD, a global consulting and investment firm providing expertise and technological assistance to governments and entrepreneurs in the agriculture, water and energy sectors. A Member of Knesset from 1996-2013, Shalom Simhon served as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor (2011-2013), Minister of Agriculture (2006-2011) and Minister of Environmental Protection (2005). In addition, he has chaired the Agriculture and Finance Committees and served as a member of the Economic Affairs Committee, among others.

A graduate of Haifa University with a BA in Social Work, Mr. Simhon resides in a cooperative farming village. He has served as Chair of the Administrative Council of Tnuva, Israel’s largest marketing and distribution cooperative for agricultural products and as Secretary-General of the Moshavim Movement

David Yarden has extensive experience in starting, running and managing new businesses; He started a Prep School for SAT, GMAT, GRE and TOEFL in Singapore, helping bringing it to a 50% market share within 2 years. He was the CEO of a real estate brokerage firm in New York with 40 agents, three offices and $250 million in annual sales. He managed large clients’ accounts in a well-known art gallery in New York achieving record sales. He grew up in Moshav (cooperative farm village) Beerotaim in Israel, working in all walks of agriculture; from dairy and vegetables to flowers and grain, but the main family business has always been poultry. Min Hateva is the family business, working with over 400 stores nation-wide, reaching a 9% market share. Mr. Yarden has experience in working with the livestock, distribution chain, business development and more. Mr. Yarden had served in the Israeli Air-Force as a Captain. He is married.

Nechemia (Chemi) Peres serves as a Director of Demeter-AWE Holdings, LTD. He is founder and chair of Amelia Investments, a private equity fund creating economic opportunities throughout the Middle East and is Managing General Partner and Co-founder of Pitango Venture Capital Group. Mr. Peres is also Chairman of the Al-Bawader Private Equity Fund which is focused on investing in the Israeli Arab community. In 1992, he founded and managed Mofet Israel Technology Fund. Chemi has earned extensive experience in the high tech industry in Israel and abroad and has served as an active investor and board member of several publicly traded companies on NASDAQ and NYSE. Mr. Peres also served as a board member of Koor Industries; one of Israel’s largest conglomerates, and is a current board member of a number of software, energy and technology companies.

Chemi Peres holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and Management and an MBA from Tel Aviv University.

Assaf (Asi) Shariv is a Director of Demeter-AWE Holdings, LTD. He serves as CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Amelia Investments. In addition, Mr. Shariv is the founder and principal of TZUM Shariv Consulting—a strategic consulting and political analysis firm. Previously, he served as Israel’s Consul-General in New York, from 2007-2010. He was Director of Media and Public Affairs to Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon, holding responsibility for the Government Press Office and Advertising Bureau.

Asi Shariv earned an LLB at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herziliya and was an attorney with Weisglass-Almagor from 1997-2002; previously, he served as deputy editor of Globes Magazine, Israel’s leading business daily.