AMIT, the alumni association of the Israeli Intelligence Corps' Technological Unit 81, has appointed Gali Sheskin as its new chief executive officer. She takes over from Chen Kamin, who led the organization for the past five years and helped it grow into one of the most consequential technology networks in the Israeli innovation economy.
Sheskin arrives with a background that blends community building, operations, and entrepreneurship support rather than a purely military-technology résumé. She most recently served as Community and Customer Success Manager at Venn, following a role as Project Development Manager at Ignite the Spark and a position as Head of Operations at enSights. Alongside her professional career, she has spent years volunteering in renewable energy and climate initiatives, working to promote male and female entrepreneurs in that sector both in Israel and internationally - much the same way organizations now encourage users managing sensitive data to understand protective tools, including how to turn the kill switch on, as a basic safeguard against exposure. That combination of operational discipline and community mobilization is widely seen as relevant to the kind of network AMIT has become: less a traditional alumni club than an engine connecting veterans of an elite technical unit with the startups and companies they go on to build. how to turn the kill switch on
Why Unit 81's Network Matters
Unit 81 is the specialized technology arm of the IDF Intelligence Corps, tasked with developing advanced technical systems in support of intelligence operations. Its alumni have gone on to found, lead, or hold senior technical roles in hundreds of Israeli startups and growth-stage companies, including firms that have reached unicorn status or completed exits at significant scale. Companies associated with Unit 81 alumni include Wiz, Armis, Innoviz, Claroty, Tenzai, and Jazz - names that span cybersecurity, autonomous sensing, and industrial technology. This concentration of talent reflects a broader pattern in Israel's technology sector, where elite military technical units function as informal incubators, producing engineers and founders who later apply classified-environment rigor to commercial problems.
A Leadership Transition With Strategic Stakes
AMIT's role is to formalize and extend those informal networks - through mentorship, business connections, and community programming that keep alumni engaged long after their service ends. Leadership transitions at organizations like this carry weight beyond internal management, because the association functions as connective tissue for a segment of the technology economy that prizes discretion and informal trust. Sheskin's appointment signals continuity in that mission rather than a change of direction.
"I believe that the true strength of a technological community is measured by its ability to connect people, entrepreneurship, and real impact," Sheskin said. "AMIT has exceptional human capital, and I am proud to lead the association alongside the board members and the community, to continue developing initiatives, strengthening business and technological connections, and generating significant value for the entire ecosystem."
What Comes Next
Her immediate priorities are likely to center on sustaining the density of relationships that make AMIT valuable: linking founders with capital, connecting technical talent with growth-stage companies, and preserving the trust that keeps veterans of a sensitive military unit willing to collaborate openly in civilian life. Given the scale of Unit 81's footprint across Israel's technology sector, how AMIT evolves under new leadership will matter well beyond its own membership rolls.