Business I doer profile

Stimulating

Ron Perry makes
Michigan's business
with Israel a
full-time job.

Alan Hitsky

Associate Editor

B

oth of his adopted states have
found their way to Ron Perry's
heart. But developing relation-
ships between the two — Michigan and
Israel — is strictly business.
In fact, Perry doesn't care if you're
Jewish, Christian, Muslim or something
else. He believes business is blind to
everything but profits.
After two years of being an active vol-
unteer with the Michigan Israel Business
Bridge, on April 1 Perry was named
executive director and first employee of

the MIBB. He's out to build profitable
relationships between the two states, boost
both economies and hopefully gain some
employment opportunities for Michigan.
Perry didn't just fall into his new
position. A product of Connecticut and
California, he earned a biology degree
at the University of California-Berkeley
in 1992. He worked in Israel from 1994
to 1999, helping Israeli companies pen-
etrate the U.S. market. He returned to the
U.S. to earn an MBA at the University of
Michigan in 2001. It's also where he met
his wife, Detroiter Julie Stein.
Perry went to work for medical device
maker Medtronic in 2001 in Minneapolis.
In 2003, the couple returned to Ann Arbor
to be closer to family. Ron remained with
Medtronic in sales.
Three years later, Perry was in Israel for
the United Jewish Communities' general
assembly when fellow Ann Arborite Jim
Adox told him about Chuck Newman's
fledgling MIBB. Adox is managing direc-
tor of Venture Investors LLC. Newman is

ALL OF

founder, CEO and president of ReCellular
Inc.
Over the next year, Perry helped the
MIBB host informational meetings in Ann
Arbor, Auburn Hills, Lansing and Grand
Rapids. "Everywhere we went:' he said, "a
lot of people showed up and expressed
interest:'
A core group of 15 met monthly to fash-
ion the organization, with most having
ties to Israeli firms. A number of activities
resulted:
• Last year, MIBB helped arrange
Michigan meetings for representatives of
eight Israeli companies. Now, two of those
firms, Israeli pharmaceutical companies,
are actively negotiating a presence here
— one in Lansing and the second in a
research collaboration with U-M.
• In November, working with state
agencies, Automation Alley and others,
the MIBB co-hosted a matchmaking
meeting between Israeli manufactur-
ers and Michigan automotive suppli-
ers. Representatives of 16 Israeli and 12

Ron Perry

Michigan companies met in what Perry
described as a "speed dating event. It
was so successful, we want to make it an
annual event and we plan to do it again
this fall."
No new jobs have come from the
November conference, but two contracts
have been signed, Perry said, "and more
could potentially emerge'
Two weeks ago, Perry traveled to Israel
with members of Southwest Michigan

Doer Profile on page A35

Us AT TELEMUS CAPITAL

WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN RECOGNIZING

Executive Director o

As JUNE'S JEWISH NEWS DOER OF THE MONTH

Telemus Capital Partners,

LLC

SOUTHFIELD I ANN ARBOR I HOUSTON
WWW.TELEMUSCAPITAL. COM

Wealth Planning • Investment Advisory • Asset Management

14003410

A34

June 12 • 2008

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