SHARON NAZARIAN
PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEE
Dr. Sharon S. Nazarian is an Iranian-born American philanthropist, civic leader, and business executive. She serves as President of the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation, a Los Angeles–based private family foundation with a regional office in Israel known as the Ima Foundation. She is also the Founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
In 2017, Dr. Nazarian was appointed Senior Vice President of International Affairs at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). In this role, she led ADL’s global efforts to combat antisemitism and racial hatred across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Israel. After five years of distinguished service, she stepped down in August 2022 and was immediately invited to join ADL’s National Board of Directors, where she currently serves as Vice Chair.
Dr. Nazarian’s wide-ranging interests are reflected in the many organizations to which she dedicates her time, talent, and leadership. She serves on the Board of Governors of the University of Haifa and on the boards of the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. She also serves on the National Board of Freedom House, The American Jewish University’s Committee on Academic Affairs, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
A prolific writer and thought leader, Dr. Nazarian has published extensively on combating the rise of global antisemitism, advocating for the State of Israel, and addressing threats posed by the Iranian regime to Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.
In addition, she serves as CEO of the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Family Office, a thriving family investment office with a diversified portfolio across multiple industries.
Dr. Nazarian earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California (USC), where she double-majored in Journalism and International Relations. She went on to receive both her Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Political Science from USC, specializing in political economy and economic development in newly industrialized countries.
She is the daughter of Younes (z”l) and Soraya Nazarian and has three siblings: David, Shulamit, and Sam. She resides in Los Angeles and is the mother of three adult children.