IMA CEO Leah Wapner Receives 22.5% Salary Hike to 70,747 NIS Monthly
Leah Wapner, CEO and Legal Advisor of the Israel Medical Association, saw her monthly salary jump 22.5% to 70,747 NIS in 2024, sparking internal discussion.
The Israel Medical Association (IMA) is facing scrutiny after financial documents leaked to Calcalist revealed a 22.5% salary increase for CEO and Legal Advisor Leah Wapner. In 2024, Wapner's monthly gross salary reached 70,747 NIS, compared to 57,747 NIS in 2023, representing a monthly jump of 13,000 NIS.
Compensation Structure and Total Costs
A deeper look into the financial statements shows that the monthly wage is only part of the overall compensation package. According to footnotes in the report, Wapner receives 13th and 14th-month salaries, along with employer social contributions, bonuses, benefit valuation, expense reimbursements, and recreation pay. These additional benefits totaled 667,000 NIS in 2024, up from 544,000 NIS in 2023 and 465,000 NIS in 2022.
"The salary update for Adv. Leah Wapner was granted for her dual role as both CEO and Legal Advisor of the organization, and therefore it is a very fair and widely accepted salary by any standard," the Israel Medical Association stated in response.
Based on Calcalist's calculations, Wapner's total annual employment cost in 2024 ranged between 1.52 million NIS and 1.66 million NIS, compared to 1.24 million to 1.35 million NIS in 2023. This sharp increase stands out as total salary expenditures for the entire organization rose by just 0.6% in 2024 to 29.4 million NIS.
IMA Finances and Member Dues
The IMA is primarily funded by membership dues collected from its 32,227 doctor members, generating 87.3 million NIS in 2024. The organization recorded a surplus of 18.4 million NIS that year, though about 15.3 million NIS of it consisted of non-cash accounting revenues, including 11.4 million NIS in real estate revaluation.
Wapner's raise occurred during a year when the IMA signed an interim wage agreement granting doctors a 7% salary increase. Negotiations for a new agreement have recently begun, with Wapner representing the physicians.
