By Dave DeFusco

After more than three decades of rising through the corporate ranks at FedEx, Sally Poolat could have comfortably continued along a successful executive path. Instead, she chose something different—something more personal and, ultimately, more purposeful. Today, as Director of U.S. Development for Leket Israel, Poolat is channeling a lifetime of leadership experience into a mission that feeds hundreds of thousands of people each week.

Her journey to this role is a story of steady professional growth, lifelong learning and a defining educational experience at Sy Syms School of Business that helped her align the values of her Jewish faith and her approach to business.

Poolat, who holds an Executive MBA in Organizational Leadership and Management, began her career at FedEx in entry-level customer service. Over the next 33 years, she steadily climbed the corporate ladder, taking on roles in sales, training and leadership across major U.S. markets including Memphis, New York, San Francisco and Miami. Her ability to understand clients, build relationships and deliver strategic solutions led to her eventual role as worldwide sales manager, where she oversaw a team responsible for more than $300 million in annual revenue.

Along the way, she developed a deep expertise in logistics, negotiation and leadership—skills that would later prove unexpectedly transferable. Despite her professional success, Poolat always felt there was more she wanted to achieve, particularly in expanding her understanding of business beyond her immediate role.

That desire led her to pursue the Executive MBA. For Poolat, the program offered something she hadn’t found elsewhere: a rigorous business education within an environment that respected and embraced her commitment to Jewish life.

“I always wanted to complete my MBA,” she said, noting that traditional programs often conflicted with Shabbat and Jewish holidays. “The Sy Syms program removed that barrier, allowing me to fully engage academically without compromising my values.”

The experience proved transformative. The curriculum broadened her perspective across key business disciplines, helping her better understand not only her own company but the organizations she interacted with every day. Courses in leadership, strategy and ethics, particularly those grounded in Jewish values, left a lasting impression.

One especially meaningful component was the program’s Israel study experience, which deepened her personal connection to the country years before she would ultimately move there. Just as important were the relationships she built with professors and classmates, many of whom remain part of her professional and personal network today.

In many ways, Poolat sees her MBA as preparation for the work she does now. That next chapter began nearly six years ago, when her family made aliyah to Israel, inspired by their daughter’s decision to serve as a lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. The move marked a major life transition. Shortly afterward, Poolat accepted a corporate buyout from FedEx, closing a long and successful chapter of her career.

Initially, she explored opportunities in Israel’s high-tech sector, but quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit. Then she came across an opportunity with Leket Israel, an organization she already knew from a family volunteer experience years earlier when her daughter helped harvest produce for those in need. 

The connection felt immediate. Leket Israel operates a sophisticated food rescue network, collecting surplus agricultural produce and prepared meals from farms, hotels, military bases and events, and redistributing it through 346 nonprofit partners across the country. The organization provides approximately 470,000 meals each week to people facing food insecurity, regardless of background or religion.

For Poolat, the mission resonated deeply, not only as a way to support Israel but as a chance to apply her professional skills to a cause with tangible human impact.

“It was a beautiful match,” she said, noting the parallels between global logistics at FedEx and Leket Israel’s nationwide food distribution system. “My background in sales and relationship-building positioned me well for development work, where inspiring donors and securing support are essential.”

Today, she travels frequently across the southern United States and parts of the Midwest, building partnerships with individuals, foundations and communities who want to support Israel. Her work is rooted in the Jewish value of Tikun Olam—repairing the world through action—a principle that also shaped her leadership approach during her MBA studies.

In the wake of the October 7 attacks, the work of Leket Israel took on a heightened urgency and scale. The attacks disrupted daily life across the country, particularly in agricultural regions near the Gaza border, where many farms faced labor shortages, damage and ongoing instability. In response, the organization rapidly mobilized, expanding volunteer efforts, organizing transportation to farms and increasing food rescue and distribution to meet growing needs among displaced families, soldiers and communities under strain. 

“In a moment of national crisis,” said Poolat, “Leket Israel not only continued its mission but strengthened it, serving as a vital lifeline while helping sustain Israel’s agricultural backbone.”

Poolat credits her time at Sy Syms with helping her integrate business strategy with ethical purpose. Courses in ethics and leadership reinforced the importance of acting with integrity while pursuing results, an approach she now brings to fundraising and partnership development. Looking back, she sees a clear throughline connecting her corporate career, her MBA education and her current role.

“I am profoundly grateful for the exceptional education I received at Sy Syms,” said Poolat. “It not only challenged me to elevate my performance and expand my knowledge across a wide range of business disciplines but, in many ways, it prepared me for the work I am privileged to do today with Leket Israel.”