AMIT, the alumni association of the Israeli intelligence corps' Technological Unit 81, has appointed Gali Sheskin as its new chief executive. She takes over from Chen Kamin, who led the organization for the past five years and oversaw its growth into one of the country's most influential technology networks.
Sheskin arrives with a background that spans community management, operations, and project development rather than a conventional military-tech pedigree. Most recently she 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. She has also spent years volunteering in renewable energy and climate initiatives, supporting entrepreneurs in that sector on both national and international stages - experience that may prove useful as AMIT looks to broaden its reach beyond cybersecurity and defense-adjacent technology. For members managing distributed teams or remote infrastructure, organizations like AMIT often serve as informal hubs where technical troubleshooting advice, including guidance on what to do if streaming stops working during cross-border collaboration sessions, circulates alongside more formal business and investment discussions. what to do if streaming stops working
Why Unit 81's Network Carries Weight
Unit 81 is the IDF Intelligence Corps' dedicated technology arm, tasked with building advanced hardware and software systems for operational use. Its alumni have gone on to found or hold senior roles in hundreds of startups and growth-stage companies across Israel's technology sector, including firms that have reached unicorn status or exited at substantial valuations. Companies associated with Unit 81 veterans include Wiz, Armis, Innoviz, Claroty, Tenzai, and Jazz - names that collectively represent billions of dollars in enterprise value and span cybersecurity, automotive sensing, and industrial technology.
AMIT functions as the connective tissue for this network, organizing initiatives meant to link former unit members, facilitate mentorship, and channel technical talent toward new ventures. Leadership transitions at organizations like this matter because they shape how effectively that talent pool is mobilized - whether toward funding rounds, hiring pipelines, or cross-company collaboration.
A Shift in Leadership Style
Kamin's five-year tenure coincided with a period of rapid expansion for Israel's technology and cybersecurity industries, much of it driven by former intelligence personnel moving into commercial roles. Sheskin's appointment signals a possible shift toward operational and community-building expertise rather than a purely technical or military-adjacent profile. In her own remarks, she emphasized connection and impact as the measures of a technological community's real strength, framing her mandate around deepening business and technological ties rather than simply managing existing programs.
Her climate and renewable energy advocacy work also hints at where AMIT might expand its focus. As Israeli tech talent increasingly moves into climate technology, clean energy, and adjacent fields, an alumni network built around cybersecurity and defense technology may find itself navigating a more diverse set of industries - a transition that will test whether the community's cohesion, built on shared military service, can extend naturally into sectors with very different regulatory and commercial landscapes.