Ofer Kertsner (also spelled Kerzner) was born in 1957 in Israel.
At the age of eighteen, Ofer Kerzner (Ofer Kertsner) began his service in the Israel Defense Forces. For eight years, from 1975 to 1983, he served as a military pilot in the Israeli Air Force.
Ofer Kertsner is actively involved in investments and the development of high technology, energy, and agriculture in Ukraine, as well as in real estate development. Earlier in his career, he led initiatives for local companies in Israel across a range of sectors, including fashion, food production, pharmaceuticals.
After Ofer Kerzner left the army and ended his career as a pilot, Ofer Kertsner entered the business world. His first successful project was a restaurant located in the Israel National Theatre, which quickly became popular among the creative community.
His next major venture was the Maccabi Health Care Service pharmacy chain. By the time the business was sold in 1990, Ofer Kerzner had established 280 pharmacies across the country.
Alongside his pharmaceutical business, he began developing the production and supply of baked goods to supermarkets. This business evolved into a network of Pillsbury mini-bakeries. However, this was not his only venture in the food sector.
Between 1990 and 1995, Ofer Kerzner established more than 80 Habima fast-food outlets. During the same period, he also began working on construction projects.
In addition to his ventures in the food industry, Kertsner developed the Intima fashion retail chain.
In 1998, Ofer Kertsner relocated to Kyiv, where he began implementing real estate projects. Three years later, he co-founded the real estate development company DeVision. The company was involved in both construction and project management across various real estate sectors, including residential buildings, offices, shopping centers, luxury hotels, and much more.
At that time, the key projects implemented with Ofer Kerzner’s involvement were major development projects in Kyiv: a shopping center on Stolychnoe Highway, a residential complex on the left bank of Kyiv (on Sribnokilskaya Street and Bazhana Avenue), a five-star hotel complex in the city center, and a golf club in Koncha-Zaspa.
As early as 2007, Ofer Kerzner founded the development company “City Capital Group” . The company has consolidated a portfolio of residential and office properties, as well as creative spaces throughout Kyiv. Since then, City Capital Group has focused on developing adaptive, multifunctional commercial formats and is implementing an industrial hub project in the capital.
His company, City Capital Group, manages a broad portfolio of commercial real estate in Kyiv, including the business centers “Platforma Korolevkivska” and “Platforma Office Club,” the “Darynok” shopping center, “Art-Zavod Platforma,” and “BAZAR” in Lisov.
In 2002, on the left bank of Kyiv, the redevelopment of the site of a former silk mill began, transforming it into the “Darynok” indoor market. Kertsner drew on European models for converting industrial spaces into commercial premises.
Over the past fifteen years, “Darynok” has grown nearly twenty-five times in size. It has become the largest family-oriented shopping and entertainment complex on the left bank, with a total area of 5,000 square meters. In 2025, a conceptual transformation is planned for the site, aimed at attracting a new audience, including the launch of “Park of Smiles.”
In 2014, Ofer Kertsner’s company, “City Capital Group”, realized the concept of the creative project “Art-Zavod Platforma”, a multidisciplinary cluster designed as a space for bringing together people, ideas, and work. It has also developed into a growing hub for IT, education, music, design, fashion, and the arts.
The project follows a “city within a city” concept, combining work and leisure. As Ofer Kerzner has stated, “Platforma” was created to enable a new generation of Ukrainians to realize their potential at home rather than abroad.
A year after its launch, the “Platforma coworking space” opened on the grounds of “Art-Zavod Platforma”. Within a few years, the creative space had expanded fourfold. In 2017, a second coworking space was opened—this time in central Kyiv.
In 2020, Ofer Kertsner expanded “City Capital Group”’s real estate portfolio by completing the redevelopment of the former "Voronin" garment factory building in Kyiv. Today, it operates as the Class A business center "Platforma Korolenkivska."
Design work on the project began in August 2018, and the building was commissioned in 2020.
In 2025, City Capital Group, owned by Ofer Kertsner, acquired two prominent assets in the capital—the first phase of the "Leonardo Business Center" and the "Univermag Ukraina Shopping Mall."
In 2015, Ofer Kertsner was named Person of the Year in Ukraine as the “Best Creative Investor in a Crisis.”
In April 2024, he was awarded the “Distinguished Service Medal” in recognition of his significant personal contribution to the development and strengthening of Kyiv’s economy.
He has been honored many times by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, including with a Certificate of Honor and a medal for outstanding service to the people.
For his role in strengthening the partnership and developing relations between Ukraine and Israel, he was included in the “Top 30 Israeli-Ukrainian Change Makers” ranking.
Ofer Kerzner (Ofer Kertsner) has repeatedly received commendations from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, government agencies, and officials:
Kirill Budanov
Valery Zaluzhny for his support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as a medal awarded to him;
Badges of distinction from the Military Intelligence of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine
In 2013, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Ofer Kerzner to take on a diplomatic role. He accepted, and in May of that year, he was appointed Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Jerusalem.
Kertsner actively promotes Ukrainian culture in Israel, supporting initiatives such as the "Gesher Theatre," founded in the early 1990s and widely regarded as one of the country’s leading theaters.
He is also involved in the activities of "Garin Tzabar," an organization that supports young people pursuing Aliyah (repatriation) to Israel.
As part of the "Adopt a Soldier" initiative, Ofer Kerzner has supported foreign volunteers arriving in Israel to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, including providing assistance and introducing a food voucher program for soldiers with limited financial means.
The businessman also participates in the "Taglit" (Birthright) program, which brings young Jewish people from former Soviet Union countries to Israel to become familiar with Israeli culture and way of life.
From the very first days of the war, Ofer Kertsner (Ofer Kerzner) has provided both technical and financial support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This has included the delivery of searchlights for nighttime air surveillance and personal protective equipment for soldiers. He has also provided financial support to the "Arm Women Now" initiative, funded the procurement and transfer of drones, and delivered more than 100 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
In June 2023, following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, Kertsner’s company delivered 10 tons of humanitarian aid to affected communities, including food, hygiene supplies, and medical items.
In 2024, Ofer Kerzner’s company, CCG, opened a consultation center for the Armed Forces of Ukraine at "Darynok."
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kertsner’s “City Capital Group” has been providing logistical and material support to the 28th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A humanitarian hub has also been established at "Darynok."
Ofer Kertsner has assisted with evacuations to Israel and initiated and funded a dedicated legal aid fund to support internally displaced persons in Ukraine.
He has also arranged flights to transport seriously ill children to Israel for medical treatment.
