Bar-Shany returns with Highcon role

Highcon, which recently raised $45m in a flotation on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, said it was bolstering its senior team with the appointment of “leading industry figures”.

Bar-Shany, who is highly respected across the industry, becomes chairman of the Israeli manufacturer of digital post-press kit.

Landa is the biggest shareholder in Highcon with a 27.46% stake via Landa Ventures, and also sits on the firm’s board.

Bar-Shany quit HP Indigo last year after 25 years at the business, in a shock departure that rocked his industry contacts.

He takes over as chairman from Amichai Steimberg, who steered the business through the IPO process.

Also joining Highcon is Simon Lewis (pictured below), another well-known HP Indigo figure.

He has worked in the industry for 27 years starting out at Scitex, and for the past 14 years at HP Indigo in a variety of senior roles most recently as regional business manager for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Lewis becomes vice president of marketing.

Highcon CEO Shlomo Nimrodi is also ex-Indigo, and actually hired Bar-Shany when he joined the digital press pioneer back in 1995.

He thanked Steimberg for his support during the IPO period and said he was “proud and happy” that Bar-Shany was joining the business, which aims to play a leading role as the packaging industry shifts to digital technologies.

“Alon’s industry expertise and reach, coupled with his experience in growing a capital equipment company, will be instrumental in executing our go-to-market strategy and scale-up. I am also delighted to welcome Simon to the Highcon team leading our marketing strategy and execution," he said.

Bar-Shany officially took up his new role yesterday (12 January). He commented: “I am looking forward to joining the Highcon board and taking part in the ongoing digital transformation of the printing and packaging industry.

“Highcon has been a pioneer in the digitalisation of the post-print part of the process which, after the growing adoption of digital printing, is where many bottlenecks now occur.”

Bar-Shany added that he would supporting Nimrodi and the rest of the management team, “to ensure the success of Highcon customers, which will be a key driver for the Company’s growth”.

He said he was “eager to travel” to meet customers, and would be receiving a second shot of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine next week.

A number of other members of Highcon’s senior team are also ex-HP, HP Scitex or HP Indigo, including chief technology officer and head of R&D Dvir Harmelech; vice president of sales and general manager for EMEA and APAC, Jens Henrik Osmundsen; and vice president of special projects development Tal Harmon.

The manufacturer recently made a significant installation at Linney Group, which is now running the first Beam 2 in the UK.