Technion Alumni Medal Awarded to Johny Srouji and Aharon Aharon

The Technion Alumni Medal is awarded to alumni for exceptional accomplishments in the fields of science, medicine, engineering, technology, or architecture; who have made substantial contributions to the industrial, scientific, economic, and educational infrastructure in Israel; and who have showed outstanding leadership and commitment to supporting the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan presented the Technion Alumni Medal to Technion alumni Johny Srouji, senior vice president of Hardware Technologies at Apple, and to Aharon Aharon, founder of the consulting company C-Perto, first GM of Apple Israel, and former CEO of the Israeli Innovation Authority. They were awarded the Medal for their many exemplary achievements, which have strengthened the Technion, industry, and academia, in Israel and around the world. The awardees are outstanding role models for past, present, and future generations of Technion students.

At the same event, Prof. Sivan conferred the President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement upon Professor Eli Biham from the Henry & Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science, for his exceptional and unique contributions to the field of cyber.

The Alumni Medal and the President’s Award were presented to Mr. Aharon, Mr. Srouji, and Prof. Biham at the president’s reception at the Board of Governors meeting, in the presence of guests, including Technion Governors; the Mayor of Haifa, Dr. Einat Kalisch-Rotem; Technion management; members of the Technion Council; deans; and other leaders from Israeli industry.

President Sivan congratulated Mr. Srouji and Mr. Aharon on their significant contributions to cutting-edge technology, the global High-tech industry, and the Technion over the years. “These two alumni embody the true spirit of the Technion, encompassing innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, technological excellence, and social awareness,” he said. “They serve as exemplary figures who have achieved remarkable accomplishments by translating their ideas, insights, and inventions into technologies that have transformed Israel’s economy and society, propelling it into the future. They follow the glorious 100-year-old tradition that began in the historic building located in the Hadar neighborhood, and continued in the acclaimed achievements of a hundred thousand Technion alumni who are today high-tech leaders in Israel and around the world. I am grateful to you, Aharon and Johny, for your immense contribution, each in your own field. You are a source of pride and serve as inspirational models for all Technion graduates. The Technion will continue to lead Israel towards technological prominence, towards prosperity and welfare, and no less important – towards advancing Israeli society.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan (left) presented the Technion Alumni Medal to Johny Srouji

Mr. Johny Srouji serves as senior vice president of Hardware Technologies at Apple. He has built one of the world’s strongest and most innovative teams of silicon and technology engineers, overseeing breakthrough custom silicon and hardware technologies including displays, batteries, application processors, storage controllers, cameras, sensors, silicon display and other chipsets across Apple’s entire product line. He joined Apple in 2008 to lead development of the A4, the first Apple-designed system on a chip. Prior to Apple, Mr. Srouji held senior positions at Intel and IBM in the area of processor development and design. He earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from the Technion.

The medal was awarded to Mr. Srouji In recognition of his outstanding achievements and visionary leadership in the high-tech industry, particularly at Apple where he has played a pivotal role in driving innovation in hardware design and development which has profoundly impacted the global technology landscape; and with deep appreciation for his esteemed position as an exemplary Technion ambassador and alumnus, inspiring and guiding multiple generations of Technion students.

“Growing up, the Technion was near enough to be real, but prestigious enough to be a dream. I was able to realize that dream because of my family, my community, and the values they instilled in me,” said Srouji. “I’m proud to work for a company committed to leaving the world better than we found it, and that The Technion is instilling that ideal in the next generation — and generations to come.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan (left) presented the Technion Alumni Medal to Aharon Aharon

Mr. Aharon Aharon is a key figure in the global technology industry. He was the first CEO of the Innovation Authority (IIA – formerly the “Chief Scientist’s Office”) and was responsible, among other things, for the links between academia and industry for the benefit of the growth of the Israeli economy. Today, Mr. Aharon is working in his consulting company C-Perto. He is a Director in TASE (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange), Member of the National R&D Council and active with the Technion, and NGOs promoting Education for All in Israel. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering, and an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, both from the Technion, where he lectured for over 15 years.

Mr. Aharon was awarded the medal in appreciation of his decades-long support of the Technion; for his contribution to the training of many generations of engineers, researchers, and scientists who are now at the forefront of industry and academia in Israel and around the world; for promoting innovation and strengthening the Technion’s connection to industry; and for his life-long generosity and commitment to Technion’s students and friends worldwide.

“In my career, I tried to promote connections between academia and industry,” said Aharon. “Quite recently, an important agreement has been reached between the Technion and the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, which would significantly advance the productive industry in Israel. This collaboration was made possible by a project that began two years ago, led by the Technion, generously funded by the Russell Berrie Foundation, and managed by me. My love story with the Technion began a long time ago, when I entered my first class here, having just finished military service. That class made me want to become a teacher. I am glad I was able to make this dream come true, having taught in the Technion for 18 years.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan (left) with Prof. Eli Biham

The President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement was conferred upon Prof. Biham, an esteemed faculty member of the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science, who has made remarkable and unparalleled contributions to the field of cybersecurity. His expertise played a pivotal role in the Technion’s rapid and efficient recovery from the recent cyber attack.

Prof. Eli Biham received his B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science at Tel Aviv University (cum laude) in 1982 and his Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute in 1991. He has been a faculty member int the Technion’s Henry & Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science since 1991. Prof. Biham is the founding head of the Technion’s Hiroshi Fujiwara Cyber Security Research Center. He was also an editor of the journal of cryptology and a director in the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). An IACR Fellow since 2012, he has received numerous honors, including the RSA award in 2012. He has been an IACR distinguished lecturer since 2013.

Prof. Biham expressed his gratitude to the people who helped tackle the cyber-attack together with him. He thanked President Sivan and said, “During my years as a professor, I created many courses in cyber security, cryptography, computer security. It was my goal to give students the abilities and knowledge to do the things that I did, so they may help Israel and all humanity for years to come.”