By Invitation Only

In November 2024, President-elect Trump nominated former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to be U.S. Ambassador to Israel.  He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas in 1993.  When his predecessor resigned, Huckabee became Governor of Arkansas from July 1996 until 2007, gaining national recognition for his successes as governor.  Huckabee ran for president in 2008, coming in second for the Republican nomination to former Senator John McCain.  Huckabee hosted a daily radio show called The Huckabee Report and the number one rated weekend show on the Fox News Channel for 6 1/2 years.  He ran for president in 2016, losing the Republican nomination to President Donald Trump.  Starting in 2017, Huckabee hosted a weekend show on TBN called Huckabee, which ended after his nomination in 2025.  Before his career in public office, Huckabee had a career in Christian broadcasting and advertising and served as a pastor for 12 years.

Throughout his entire career, Huckabee has maintained a strong pro-Israel stance.  Huckabee’s convictions are founded in his evangelical Christian beliefs, which include support for Israeli control over their ancient and indigenous homeland.  Huckabee has advocated traditional conservative values and has been active in the pro-life movement.  He has opposed excessive taxation and harsh government regulation.  Huckabee has been a strong voice for strict adherence to the Constitution.

Huckabee has led dozens of religious trips to Israel and is incredibly knowledgeable about Israeli geography and politics.  Huckabee has been married to Janet McCain since 1974, and they have three children together, John Mark, David, and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.  They have 7 grandchildren.  Huckabee has been a musician since the age of 11 and enjoys playing bass guitar and is a member of the classic-rock cover band Capitol Offense.

Huckabee graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in 1976, where he received his 4-year bachelor’s degree in 2 ½ years, graduating magna cum laude.  He attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary before continuing his career in broadcasting that he had started in local radio at the age of 14.  Huckabee founded local community television channels in Pine Bluff and Texarkana, Arkansas.  Huckabee also served as a pastor and served as the President of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, from 1989-1991.

Rodrigo leads our sales organization across Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, driving customer success, strategic growth, and partner ecosystem development.

He joined Rockwell in 2006 and has held progressive roles across Inside Sales, Domain Expertise, Product Business Development, and Sales Leadership.

With over 18 years in industrial automation, he brings deep commercial experience, a strong record of revenue growth, and is highly regarded for developing high-performing teams and future leaders.

Born in 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio.  Earned a BSC in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (1977) and an MSC in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Case Western Reserve University (1979).  Moved to Israel in 1982 after three years at Battelle Columbus Laboratories.  Played a key role in design and construction of the first large-scale solar thermal projects built in California (Luz Industries Israel - 350MW).  Managed design and construction of one of the first large private power plants in Israel in Ashkelon (Dorad Energy – 860MW).

Ariel Lasry is an accomplished sales leader with over 25 years of experience in the life sciences and manufacturing sectors. As Country Sales Director at Rockwell Automation since 2013, Ariel has played a pivotal role in driving sales growth and business development initiatives. Prior to this, Ariel co-founded and served as Managing Director at Contel ITS, where Ariel successfully delivered major projects and expanded operations within the CPG and Life Sciences industries. Ariel’s proven track record reflects strong leadership, strategic vision, and a commitment to delivering value-driven solutions.