"This is my mission": She left a glittering career at Meta and settled in the Galilee
Bar Clara Mendes McKinnon left a rewarding job at Meta in Ireland and returned to live in the Galilee following October 7. Today she is the CEO of Value Gateway and explains why for her this is "modern Zionism" and why she chose the north.
Until the October 7 massacre, Bar Clara Mendes McKinnon lived with her family in Ireland and held a senior position at Meta. "It wasn't my direction at all to pack up the very comfortable life I had and return to Israel," she says.
But reality eventually caused her to return to Yesud HaMa'ala in the Upper Galilee, where she grew up. Today she serves as CEO and managing partner at Value Gateway, the international arm of the Value Advanced Investments group — an alternative investment house that manages assets of about 4 billion shekels and represents large international investment funds in Israel.
Mendes McKinnon, 35, is married to Karl, an Irish citizen, and is a mother of two sons. After the army, she moved abroad, where she met her husband and lived in Dublin for six consecutive years. In Ireland, she worked as a senior manager at Meta, responsible for global business operations with an annual turnover of about 450 million dollars. She emphasizes that her diverse background in communications, international relations, and marketing, combined with practical experience, has been key to her success.
About a year and a half ago, Mendes McKinnon returned to Israel. "On October 7, my house in Ireland became an operations room," she recalls. "We started helping Israelis whose families were affected and fighting against the wave of antisemitism." She co-founded The Israeli Action Coalition, which organized rallies and worked with local media.
"The Galilee is my life's mission"
In the summer of 2024, the couple decided to stay in Israel. "My husband understood that we couldn't live in Ireland anymore, and we moved to the Galilee," she says. "Even today, the region is in a difficult situation, but for me, this is modern Zionism. If there are no people here with skills or connections, this place will never recover. This is my mission."
She stresses her belief in the Israeli economy and society. "As a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I couldn't ignore what was happening. I want my children to grow up here." Her husband, a musician, is building his career in Israel through performances and consulting work.
Investing in Israel
Today, Mendes McKinnon operates within Value Gateway, connecting international capital to the Israeli market in sectors like real estate, defense, infrastructure, and high-tech. "We usually focus on companies in later stages, with valuations of 100 million dollars and up," she clarifies.
She notes that despite the ongoing wars, the Israeli market remains resilient. She identifies three types of investors: diaspora Jews, supporters of Israel from the USA and Germany, and "Appreciators of Israel" — pragmatic business people who focus on data and technological capabilities. "These deals require a lot of discretion, which is why we rarely publicize our successes," she adds.
In conclusion, Mendes McKinnon highlights the importance of supporting the Galilee: "We need to combine the efforts of the state and the private sector. While moving from the center of the country might be a challenge, people returning from abroad can be a driving force for the region's rehabilitation."
