UPDATE 2-Delek Real Estate CEO, deputy CEO mull retirement

Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:11am EDT
 
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* CEO Rosanski says wants to set up private firm

* Media say decision sparked by feud with key shareholder

(Adds Rosanski quotes)

JERUSALEM, July 13 (Reuters) - Delek Real Estate (DLKR.TA), a unit of Israeli conglomerate Delek Group (DELKG.TA), said on Monday its Chief Executive Ilik Rozanski and his deputy, Chava Zamir, were considering retirement.

Rosanski said in a statement he was thinking of stepping down to set up a private real estate company.

"As I near the age of 50 ... I am weighing a new path and my feeling is that it is best for me to go from being a salaried CEO to an owner and partner in a company," said Rosanski, who served eight years as CEO of Delek Real Estate.

Rosanski said he had thought of leaving earlier but stayed on to guide the company through the global financial crisis. He added that his decision to quit came after Delek's financial standing improved.

Israeli financial news websites Globes and TheMarker said the move was sparked by disagreements that pitted Rozanski and Zamir against members of the family of Delek's controlling shareholder Yitzhak Tshuva.

Neither website elaborated.

A spokesman for Delek Real Estate declined to comment on the reports.

The company said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that its board of directors had met to discuss retirement packages for the two executives.

It said further discussion would be held at an undisclosed date and gave no details about the size or nature of the packages.

Delek Real Estate has close to 400 income-producing properties in Israel, Western Europe and North America that are rented out for long periods. The company said in Monday's statement that its assets were worth some 25 billion shekels ($6.3 billion).

Tshuva also owns New York's Plaza Hotel through a private company called Elad Group. ($1 = 3.97 shekels) (Reporting by Joseph Nasr, editing by David Cowell)

 

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