AMIT, the alumni association of the Israeli Intelligence Corps' Technological Unit 81, has appointed Gali Sheskin as its new chief executive, succeeding Chen Kamin after her five-year tenure leading the organization. The transition places a new figure at the helm of a network whose members have quietly shaped some of Israel's most consequential technology companies.
Sheskin arrives with a background that blends community building and operational management rather than a conventional path through the intelligence or defense establishment. She most recently served as Community and Customer Success Manager at Venn, after roles as Project Development Manager at Ignite the Spark and Head of Operations at enSights. Alongside her professional work, she has spent years volunteering in renewable energy and climate initiatives, supporting entrepreneurs - both men and women - working on those issues domestically and internationally. Whether she is coordinating a partner meeting from a Tel Aviv office or checking in remotely over a server in Europe while traveling for one of her climate-focused projects, colleagues describe her as someone who prioritizes connection over hierarchy, an approach that appears to have shaped her candidacy for the AMIT role. a server in Europe
Why Unit 81's Alumni Network Matters
Unit 81 is the specialized technological arm of the IDF's Intelligence Corps, tasked with developing advanced hardware and software systems for operational use. Its alumni have gone on to found or hold senior technical positions in hundreds of startups and growth-stage companies across Israel's technology sector, a pipeline that has produced unicorns and large-scale exits alike. Companies associated with Unit 81 veterans include Wiz, Armis, Innoviz, Claroty, Tenzai and Jazz - names that span cybersecurity, autonomous vehicle sensing, and industrial protection. AMIT exists to sustain and formalize the informal networks that emerge from shared military service, turning personal relationships into a structured ecosystem of mentorship, investment, and business development.
A Leadership Change With Continuity in Mind
Kamin's five years at AMIT coincided with a period of rapid expansion in Israel's technology sector, during which alumni-founded companies attracted substantial international investment and, in several cases, reached significant valuations or acquisition deals. Sheskin's appointment signals an intention to build on that foundation rather than reinvent it. "I believe that the true strength of a technological community is measured by its ability to connect people, entrepreneurship, and real impact," she said, adding that she sees her mandate as strengthening business and technological ties across the community while generating value for the broader ecosystem.
What Comes Next
The challenge facing any alumni organization of this scale is less about visibility - Unit 81's reputation in the technology world is already well established - and more about sustaining relevance as its membership grows more diverse in age, location, and career stage. Younger veterans entering the startup world need different support than founders navigating a later-stage exit or an executive managing international expansion. Sheskin's experience in community management and operations, paired with her track record organizing cross-border entrepreneurial networks in the climate sector, suggests AMIT may lean further into structured programming and international outreach under her leadership, building on the informal trust that has long defined the group.