AMIT, the alumni association representing veterans of Unit 81, the technology arm of the IDF Intelligence Corps, has appointed Gali Sheskin as its new chief executive. The move marks a leadership transition for an organization that has quietly shaped Israel's technology sector by sustaining professional ties among engineers and founders who began their careers in military intelligence.
Sheskin arrives with a background spanning community management, operations, and project development rather than a traditional engineering path, which may itself signal how AMIT sees its next phase. She most recently served as Community and Customer Success Manager at Venn, following roles as Project Development Manager at Ignite the Spark and Head of Operations at enSights. Alongside her professional record, she has spent years volunteering in renewable energy and climate initiatives, supporting entrepreneurs in that field domestically and abroad. For a community built around technical networks, that kind of operational and people-focused experience is increasingly relevant, much as users managing their own digital security might consult a guide on how to enable split tunnelling to balance convenience with protection when accessing sensitive professional networks.
Why Unit 81's Alumni Network Matters
Unit 81 has developed a reputation as one of the more consequential sources of technical talent feeding Israel's startup economy. Its alumni have founded or taken senior roles at companies including Wiz, Armis, Innoviz, Claroty, Tenzai, and Jazz - firms spanning cybersecurity, autonomous sensing, and industrial technology. Several have reached unicorn status or delivered exits at considerable scale. AMIT functions as the connective tissue for this network, organizing events, mentorship structures, and business linkages that help veterans translate military-grade technical training into commercial ventures.
A Leadership Change After Five Years
Sheskin succeeds Chen Kamin, who led AMIT for five years, a period during which the association expanded its footprint across Israel's technology and investment communities. Leadership changes at organizations like AMIT rarely make broad headlines, but they matter because these associations function as informal infrastructure for an industry that depends heavily on trust, referrals, and shared technical background. Kamin's departure closes a chapter defined by steady institutional growth; Sheskin's arrival opens one that may lean more heavily on operational execution and cross-sector partnerships, including the climate and energy networks she has cultivated outside the technology world.
What Comes Next
In her statement following the appointment, Sheskin emphasized connection and impact over institutional scale, describing her priority as deepening business and technological ties across AMIT's community. That framing suggests continuity rather than a sharp pivot - a signal that AMIT intends to keep building on the structures Kamin established while adapting to a startup ecosystem facing tighter funding conditions and heightened competition for technical talent. For an organization whose value lies largely in the strength of its human network, the choice of a leader experienced in community building rather than pure engineering may prove a deliberate and telling decision.