"My parents thought I wouldn't get a high school diploma," says Liron Horshi. "I was always more interested in the scouts, and didn't like studying, I had attention and concentration problems. My sister was the nerd and I was the talkative one. But still, I succeeded. I have a photo from my high school graduation ceremony where I wrote: Mom, I did it."
Today, as head of Global People Experience at Wiz, which has achieved the biggest-ever exit in Israel's history, she has added another success to her resume. Although the deal closed earlier this month, in which the company will be sold to Google for the enormous sum of $32 billion, is rooted in the product it offers, even the best product cannot last without an organizational culture that manages to attract talent and also gives its human resources the feeling it pays them attention.
"This organization is successful because the four founders listen to employees," explains Horshi. "We are aware of everything that happens to them, even the gifts we give out as benefits are not the usual gifts. We had an employee whose dream was to be an artist, so we gave her a private lesson with her favorite painter. We really think about what each employee needs, and the employees know that we will take care of them. It's a kind of family."
"A crazy rollercoaster"
It is impossible to ignore that Wiz's 1,800 employees will benefit by about $1 billion from the exit but Horshi hastens to stress, ""We don't have the best ice pops here, we don't have the best drinks here. We don't believe in wasting money, we do things with value. Even at the recent Purim party, where we brought Omer Adam - anyone can go to his concert, but here he sang Madonna songs. We do different things. We don't believe in vouchers, we don't have a birthday party, but we will give you the gift that gets you out to celebrate."
Horshi notes that she also practices the culture of attentiveness. "No school could have taught me what I went through here. Really, it's a crazy roller coaster. I've never done projects like I do at Wiz, but they allow me to learn here. There is always patience, and the feeling is that there is also room for mistakes - we are not in a surgical theater, no one dies, but we learn quickly, make corrections and, above all, do things in a way that is life-enhancing. People come in the morning and want to be here."
According to sources familiar with the details, this attitude towards employees continues even during the current period. The company's management held talks with employees after the announcement of the deal with Google, and emphasized the importance of continuing normal work. Company insiders note that the reactions and commitment they demonstrated after the announcement of the deal indicate the strength of the organizational culture and trust in management.
"Nothing is done with force"
Horshi grew up in Bat Yam, and her career in human resources began in the army, where she served in the Shin Bet. "It was actually my first job, with older people. I was in the human resources department and was exposed to crazy things. In general, the army provides an amazing framework and opens up opportunities. Later, I moved to the technology department and then I was recruited to be a research coordinator. In total, I was there for seven amazing years. It was clear to me that human resources was my profession, I am driven by people. Even when there were no budgets, I would always do things."
After her release from the military, she began working at Microsoft, where she first met Assaf Rappaport, who was one of the founders of Adalom. "Microsoft acquired Adalom and we were their welfare. We had to help them settle into the office," she explains. One day, shortly after she left Microsoft, she received a surprising phone call. "Assaf called me at two in the morning and said, 'I'm founding a startup and I want you to come be a human resources officer.' The first thing I said to him was, 'It's two in the morning.' He said, 'Okay, what do you have to do?'" she laughs. "I thought I was coming to a small company with 70 employees, but in a short time, Wiz became a powerhouse. Today, the company has 1,800 employees."
What routine challenges do you face?
"I work with people whose culture is different from mine. For example, US employees are used to barbecues on American Independence Day, but they don't necessarily know what Holocaust Remembrance Day is, and I actually have to deal with a culture that I don't know. I also often find that Americans work differently."
However, she notes that this challenge indicates a positive change. "In the past, most giant companies, such as Microsoft, would open branches in Israel and instruct Israel, including in terms of welfare. Today, there are companies that grow in Israel and lead branches around the world - it's amazing. Even after four years in the position, I learn something new every day."
Are there also failures?
"All the time. When I came to Wiz I thought I knew everything and that I had already done it at Microsoft. But in our first talk, Assaf told me that I was not on the right track and that they don't do it that way. Here, if there is nothing good enough to do for Family Day, for example, we won't force it. We try not to act according to pre-prepared templates, unless we see what is needed and act accordingly."
"Continue to enjoy the journey"
In addition to the deal with Google, the company is currently building a new campus in Tel Aviv, and Horshi is in charge of the project. "I didn't know how to read building plans, I didn't come from that field. Assaf kept telling me, 'Ask, you will succeed.' Today I am already sitting with an architect and I know how to tell her what my needs are and what materials are needed. It's crazy."
Where do you see yourself in the future?
"To be honest, I don't have dreams oabout reaching certain summits, but rather of continuing to enjoy the scenery along the way. I see myself working with people I love, and I am very lucky to do what I love. I would like to show that the employee experience is much more than just drinking a toast at Passover - it is about understanding global endeavor, creating an organizational culture and constant improvement.
"In my opinion, fulfillment in professional life is about learning all the time, and that is what I do even after many years in the field. We live in a world where employees are what makes a company into a leader, and so I strongly believe in the employee experience and its centrality in creating an organizational culture. This is a field that is still developing, not all organizations understand its importance.
"With amazing partners in other companies, I am learning and continuing to lead positive change in the field, through cooperation and the desire to build a community that promotes a culture that puts the employee at the center."
This article is part of the annual "Globes" "40 Under 40" young leadership in Israel project.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on March 30, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.