Michael Leit Elected to Board of Directors of American Friends of Tel Aviv University

American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU) announced that Michael Leit has joined its Board of Directors. Leit’s financial experience and expertise will add a new dimension to a group of thought leaders helping to advance one of the world’s preeminent academic institutions.

“I am delighted to welcome Michael to our Board of Directors,” said Gail Reiss, president and CEO of AFTAU. “He is an important leader in the philanthropic community, and brings a fresh perspective and a distinguished record of professional success to our organization. Michael is committed to strengthening higher education in Israel, and I know he will be an important partner in increasing Tel Aviv University’s visibility and stature on the global stage.”

Leit, a Brooklyn resident, has been a fixed income analyst for over 30 years, and recently retired from PineBridge Investments, an $80+ billion mutual fund, where he was the vice president of the Fixed Income Corporate Bond Research Department. He also held senior management positions at Gleacher & Company, MEAG New York Corporation, Prudential Securities Inc. and Bear Stearns Companies. Leit is also a long-time member and trustee of Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope.

Israel’s most influential university

Since it was founded in 1956, AFTAU has served as a bridge between American and Israeli leaders dedicated to excellence in scholarship and to strengthening the State of Israel. With the enthusiastic support of its membership, the organization raises awareness, influence and funding for Tel Aviv University in the United States, and offers American Friends access to some of the world’s most engaging and exciting thinkers.

Tel Aviv University is internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, attracting world-class faculty and consistently producing cutting-edge work with profound implications for the future. It is independently ranked among the world’s top universities and first in Israel. In August, 2014, TAU graduates were ranked ninth in the world among the best producers of venture capital-backed startups, ahead of Ivy League universities Yale (#11), Princeton (#17), and Columbia (#19).

American Friends of Tel Aviv University ( www.aftau.org) supports Israel’s leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). Rooted in a pan-disciplinary approach to education, TAU is internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship — attracting world-class faculty and consistently producing cutting-edge work with profound implications for the future. TAU is independently ranked among the world’s top universities and #1 in Israel. It joins a handful of elite international universities that rank among the best producers of successful startups.