Behind the Business: Michelle Binovitch
Michelle Binovitch came on a trip to Israel six months before deciding to make aliyah from England. While on her vacation flight she happened to meet her future husband, Avi. Because Michelle spoke very little Hebrew, she moved straight to Kibbutz MaaganMichael to study at the ulpan there. After the first ulpan, she moved to Beit Horon (where Aviwas a founder; then 30 families) and continue to study at UlpanEtzionin Jerusalem.
With a degree in accounting and economics from Leeds University, she started working in th accounting department at the Jewish Agency. She was immersed in a totally Hebrew speaking environment at work and as well as at her new home in Beit Horon with her new husband – the combination gave way to her Hebrew improving quickly. After the Jewish Agency, she worked for the tax authorities until their first son Liranwas born (they are the proud parents of four boys, Liran, Ronen (who works in the business with Michelle), Gil and Alon.
Avi worked then as a flight steward at El Al and when the airline went on strike in 1982 they thought that the company would fold. Her father suggested trying the insurance business. Avi decided to take a course for insurance agents and Michelle took a course for insurance administration so she could be Avi’s secretary. When the El Al strike ended, Avi returned to work at El Al and Michelle decided to further her newfound career in insurance and took the next course for insurance agents.
Michelle has a background in insurance. She started working for her father, knocking on doors and making cold calls making appointments in England when she was 15 years old.
He became one of the top managers in the UK insurance industry.One of his agents(an Israeli living in London) had a brother who owned an insurance agency in Israel, and he gave her the opportunity to open a branch in GivatZeev.
Shortly after, he closed his office and moved out of the country, and left Michelle in charge of the business. She changed the name to Reshet Insurance and the business grew from there.Given that she moved to Israel without the basic connections that most Israelis have (i.e. family, army friends, school friends), she had to create her own inner circle.From there, Michelle entered the world of networking – a tool that Michelle highly believes in. She became involved in BNI (Business Network International) in Jerusalem where she formed a group and managed two networking groups. She still has clients that she met through her networking groups in Jerusalem.
Sheeventually decided to leave GivatZeev and built an office onto her home in Beit Horon and worked from there for 15 years. She then moved to an office in Shilat where she worked for a number of years and then moved to Ligad Center.
When she came to Modiin, she became involved with an English-speaking networking group, now called ABC Networking Group and NIV the women’s business networking group. The insurance business requires a lot of contacts and connections. Although she doesn’t live in Modiin, the networking groups have enabled her to connect with the Modiin population. Michelle feels that networking groups are essential for any independent business. Her ideal goal is that when people hear the name, Michelle Binovitch, they think insurance.
Michelle’s son, Ronen, joined the business four years ago. He is a qualified insurance agent with an amazing business head and technology know-how. He has brought new life to the business with his fresh outlook. The business has grown to include a team of three underwriters – everyone with their own area of expertise.
Michelle Binovitch can be reached at 08-929-8889, 054-467-7821, michelle@reshet-insu.com, www.binovitch-insurance.com, 1 Ligad Center, Modiin.
