Corporate News

The Power of Corporate Responsibility and Response Amid Crisis

Ziv Biron, IDB President & CEO, for Forbes Business Council


March 7th, 2025

As leaders, we understand that a disruption in our community is a disruption in our business. For our organization, the needs of our clients and employees have changed dramatically in the last year, and we have fully pivoted—responding with urgency to unfolding events, operating amid uncertainty and strengthening the fabric of our relationships for long-term growth and resilience.

On Oct. 7, 2023, the terrorist organization Hamas launched a horrific attack on the South of Israel. The aftermath has been nothing short of devastating, and, as the largest Israeli-owned bank in the United States, we have and continue to feel the effects. Israel remains in a state of conflict, and our community of stakeholders sits squarely within both the metaphorical and literal impact zone, facing both devastating circumstances at home and rising antisemitism abroad.

While our experience is unique, the call for businesses and their leaders to go above and beyond amid a challenge is not. From natural disasters to acts of terrorism to social justice movements and beyond, I believe it is our responsibility as leaders to help our communities. In doing so, we can both drive powerful change and strengthen our organizations.

I’d like to share with you the actions we took and the lessons we learned in the last year that could be useful to other businesses.

Look for ways to authentically align with your stakeholders.

Today, it’s not enough to simply know your stakeholders. Knowing their values and acting with purpose to deliver on them is how to drive authentic and impactful crisis response efforts. This often means that business cannot operate as normal, but instead must pause day-to-day efforts to acknowledge and address the immediate challenge.

For us, this meant swiftly addressing the human and emotional toll of the attack and providing extensive support to our employees, including grief counseling, special personal leave allowances and mental health resources. We were focused on assisting those in Israel, whether by supporting affected businesses in the southern and northern regions, or through organizations working to revitalize and rebuild those affected areas. We continue to orchestrate gatherings and provide access to our unique network of nonprofit partners and relationships, all with a shared vision to support humanitarian efforts in Israel and on-the-ground efforts to fight antisemitism in the United States.

With authentic alignment and investment, you can nurture a more committed and enthusiastic workforce and a loyal clientele.


This piece was originally published with the Forbes Business Council. Read the full article here.