Early Life
Sasson Dayan was born in Lebanon on April 1, 1940, into a Jewish family. He began his career in the banking sector in the 1950s at the Salim A. Dayan Banking House, which was founded by his father. This early experience provided him with a solid foundation in banking operations.
Rise to Success
In the 1960s, Dayan immigrated to Brazil and entered the country's financial market. In 1968, he co-founded Daycoval DTVM Ltda. with his brother Ibrahim Dayan, a securities trading firm. In 1970, they established Valco Corretoras de Valores Mobiliários. The most significant milestone came in 1989 when they received government approval to convert Daycoval DTVM Ltda into Banco Daycoval, a multiple-service bank. This transformation allowed Banco Daycoval to specialize in lending to medium-sized companies.
Key Business Strategies
Dayan's leadership focused on providing financial services, particularly loans and financing, to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a sector often underserved by larger financial institutions. This strategic approach helped Daycoval become a significant player in the Brazilian financial market. His emphasis on family control and long-term stability has also been a key element of the bank's success. In 2015, Dayan transferred almost all his shares in Daycoval to his three sons, although he remains president of the bank's board.
Philanthropy
The Dayan family has engaged in philanthropy, most notably through the establishment of the Dayan Family Immunotherapy Laboratory at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem in 2018, which supports cancer research.