Zohar Ziv
Award Sponsor: CSU Channel Islands
Zohar Ziv is an active director, investor, and advisor with more than 30 years of executive management experience across a diverse range of business environments, including public and private companies of various sizes, startups, rapid-growth firms, and traditional businesses. Over the course of his career, he has served as COO of a $1.8 billion footwear company, CFO of public and private companies, a board member for a China-based pizza company, general partner of a venture fund, director for two footwear companies, vice chairperson of an industry association, and director for various nonprofit organizations.
Zohar retired as COO of Deckers Outdoor Corp. in 2015. He joined Deckers in 2006 and participated in managing the company’s growth from $250 million to $1.8 billion in nine years. Prior to Deckers, Zohar served as CFO at various diversified companies in industries ranging from marketing services, personalized souvenirs, and hair products to multimedia systems and medical supplies. Prior to that, for a period of 10 years he was the treasurer of an international fluid transfer equipment company. During his career, Zohar has participated in multiple initial public offerings and a leveraged buyout, led more than 25 merger-and-acquisition transactions, and raised more than $700 million in financing.
A member of the Santa Barbara Angel Alliance, he currently serves on the board for DPC Dash, a restaurant company in China with distribution rights to Domino’s Pizza, which he cofounded. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for both the Santa Barbara Foundation and CALM, the Foundation Board of Cal State Channel Islands, and as a member of the Finance Committee for Santa Barbara City College. He is also a partner with Santa Barbara Impact Network.
A native of Israel, Zohar received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from California State University Northridge and an M.B.A. in international management from the American Graduate School of International Management.