IBE TRADE CORP
President:
Dr. Alex Rovt
An immigrant from Ukraine by way of Hungary, Dr. Rovt came to the United States in 1985 where he started building his American dream by working in his uncle’s kosher deli and at a jewelry store in New York City. In 1986 Dr. Rovt accepted a position at IBE International, the predecessor of IBE Trade Corp, which at that time traded natural resources in the emerging markets and was active in the fertilizer industry. Over the span of just a few years, Dr. Rovt significantly broadened IBE’s activities, leading the Company to a prominent position in the worldwide fertilizer market. By the early 2000s, Dr. Rovt acquired the shares of IBE Trade Corp. from his partners and expanded the Company’s business by investing in fertilizer production facilities in Eastern Europe. Under Dr. Rovt’s leadership, IBE Trade Corp. became one of the world’s top producers and traders of chemical fertilizers.
Dr. Rovt diversified his business portfolio by investing in real estate in Europe and in the United States, first in residential buildings and later in commercial properties, including office buildings, hotels and retail properties. Over the years, he als shifted the focus of IBE Trade Corp. from the fertilizer industry to real estate development and management. In 2012 he acquired 14 Wall Street, the landmark Bankers Trust Building, which IBE Trade Corp. manages along with many other residential and commercial properties.
Dr. Rovt is a philanthropist and an active member of the New York City community, serving on the Boards of many non-profit organizations. He has endowed a school for Orthodox Jewish immigrants, the Zvi Dov Roth Academy in Brooklyn, named after his grandfather who was killed in the Holocaust. Dr. Rovt has also served on the NYC Board of Corrections as Vice Chairman
and is a trustee of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Additionally, he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for One Brooklyn Health Systems, Inc., the healthcare structure comprised of three hospitals, Interfaith Medical Center, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, and Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the Touro University.
In addition to being a prominent businessman and philanthropist, Dr. Rovt holds a PhD in Economics and speaks five languages. He resides in New York City with his wife, Olga Rovt. Their two sons, Philip Roth and Maxwell Rovt play important roles in the management of IBE Trade’s properties and in expanding the Company’s real estate portfolio.