Commissioner (Ret.) Yonahan Danino

Former Commissioner & Senior Fellow, ICT, Israel

Yohanan Danino (born 1959) has served in the Israeli Police for over 30 years before he retired earlier this year. He served as chief of the Israel Police for four years until 30 June 2015. Among other posts, he has led the Unit of International Crime Investigations.

Danino build his career in the Israeli police as an investigations and intelligence specialist. As the former commander of the police’s Investigations and Operations Branch, was responsible for high-profile corruption and other criminal investigations.

He has been an advocate for the use of cutting-edge technology to combat organized crime and for the need to seize the assets of crime organizations to shut them down effectively.

Mr. Danino recently assumed the position of Chairman of the Board of Migdal, Israel’s largest Insurance company. In addition, Mr. Danino serves as a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company Israel.

Relevant positions and experience

• Served as chief of the Israel Police from 1 May 2011 until 30 June 2015, an organization with ~27,000 employees. As commissioner, he led an ambitious change program which eventually delivered significant improvement.

• Recipient of the U.S.-based Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) for his leadership in creating strong ties and cooperation with other police commissioners around the world, (including those with Jordanian and Palestinian Authority law enforcement organizations).

• Head of the Investigation and Intelligence Division of the Israeli Police 2006-2008

• Responsible for high-profile corruption and other criminal investigations of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former president Moshe Katsav and former finance minister Avraham Hirchson.

• One of the initiators and founders of establishing Lahav 433 in 2008, an Israeli crime-fighting umbrella organization (known as the “Israeli FBI”)

• Former positions within the Israel Police also include

  • Head of the Southern Command

  • Head of the Unit of International Crime Investigations

  • Head the investigations office of the Sharon sub-district

  • Prosecutor, Head of Police Prosecution unit of the Sharon district

Education, honors and publications

• Law Degree (LLB) from the Tel-Aviv University

Member of the Israeli Bar Association

• Master Degree (M.A) Political Science from Haifa University

• Awarded the Police Executive Research Forum prize (2014)