Minister of Education and Chairman of the MLA Naftali Bennett announced on Thursday his decision to appoint Matenihu Engelman as CEO of the Council for Higher Education (MLA) and the Committee for Planning and Budgeting (VAT). Engelman, who has served for the past four years as CEO and Vice President of the Technion, will replace the CEO of the Technion Gadi Frank. Minister Bennett and the chairman of the OT Prof. Zilbrashtz wished Engelman success. The appointment is subject to the approval of the appointment review committee operating under the Government Companies Law.
A few days ago, the search committee, headed by the chairman of the PhD, Prof. Yaffa Zilbarschat, recommended the two leading candidates for the position: the CEO and vice president of the Technion, Mattaniho Engelman, and the CEO of the Employment Service, Boaz Hirsch. Minister Bennett invited the two to personal talks and at the end of them decided on Engelman's appointment to the position.
Minister Bennett and the chairman of the OT Prof. Zilbrashtz wished success to Engelman and said that he is the right person to lead the higher education system in the many challenges it faces. "In his role as CEO and Vice President of the Technion, Matanyahu has demonstrated great qualities and professionalism, and we are sure that he will know how to march MLAG and VT to new heights."
According to the MLA announcement, many good candidates with administrative experience and familiarity with both the public service and the higher education system appeared before the search committee. After the committee held a long and exhaustive procedure, which included two public announcements, and after giving its opinion, both to the formal qualifications of the candidates, to their personal experience and to its impression of their personality, qualities and skills, the committee found two particularly outstanding candidates: Boaz Hirsch and Mitanyahu Engelman. In a meeting with Minister Hirsch, he decided to withdraw his candidacy from the position. Minister Bennett and Prof. Zilbrashtz thanked Boaz Hirsch for the fair procedure and wished him success in his future endeavors.
As for Matanyahu Engelman, the committee found that "his experience is impressive and diverse and spans a variety of types of higher education institutions. His familiarity and proficiency in the field of higher education are significant. Also, his main managerial experience in recent years in his position as CEO of a leading institution of higher education in Israel along with his experience also in managing a college, make him have deep knowledge and an extensive understanding of the needs of higher education in all its complex nuances. All of these will allow him to fulfill with great success the position of CEO of the MLA/VOT, to which he will bring his extensive experience and his deep knowledge of the system."
