Anna Blender is a Senior Vice President at BAV® Consulting, a global brand strategy firm that translates quantitative consumer insights into actionable ways to drive brand growth towards more purpose and more profit.

As the lead of the Nation Branding Practice at BAV Consulting, Anna brings together expertise in International Relations, Economics, Finance and Sustainability. In addition to acting as an advisor to multinational corporations, governments and NGOs, she has hosted workshops and educational sessions to help marketers and complementary disciplines to better understand brand strategy and its implementation, especially as it relates to creating more purposeful and sustainable global brands.

Anna is a guest lecturer at NYU-Stern and Columbia Business School, has been a featured industry expert on Wharton University’s Business Radio, and is regularly sought out for her expertise by publications like the Wall Street Journal. She graduated from Wharton with majors in International Studies, Finance and Marketing.

Ambassador Ido Aharoni is Consul General of Israel in New York, representing the State of Israel to communities from throughout the tri-state areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He has been a member of Israel’s Foreign Service since the summer of 1991. Ido held two overseas positions, in Los Angeles and New York, during his tenure in Israel’s diplomatic corps.

While serving as Consul for Media and Public Affairs in New York, he became familiar with nation-branding methods which he later introduced to his superiors in Jerusalem. His efforts in this area, which continue until today, have brought about a paradigm shift in Israel’s public image by Israeli officials in Israel and the United States.