New CEO for SpaceIL: Shimon Sharid

Sherid will take office in March 2020 and lead the program "Bereshit 2"

Two weeks after SpaceIL announced a $2 million grant from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, today the board of directors of the SpaceIL association announces the appointment of a new CEO, Brigadier General Shimon Sharid. Sherid will be entrusted with the leadership of the association and within this framework the launch of the "Beresheit XNUMX" space program, with the aim of promoting the construction of another unmanned Israeli spacecraft - a task that combines challenges in the fields of technology along with creating educational-technological inspiration for youth.

Sherid, who will take office on March 1, 2020, has many years of engineering, command and management experience. He served in a series of development, command and management positions in the Air Force for 28 years, and even won the Israel Defense Award for his contribution to the development of a groundbreaking system. In his last position, he served as the head of an equipment division in the Air Force (RLCD). In the last 15 years, Reid served as the CEO of the "Silver Arrow" company of the Elbit Systems Group, as well as in various positions as the VP of the drone division of Elbit, within this framework he was the initiator and developer of the Hermes 900 system, and even engaged in the development of the next generations of aircraft systems Without a pilot at Elbit. Sherid has a bachelor's degree in aeronautics and space engineering from the Technion and a master's degree in management sciences from the combined track of Boston University and Ben Gurion University.

Sherid will assume the position of CEO after the last seven years SpaceIL's CFO, Oren Alxalsi, served as acting deputy.

Prof. Yitzhak Ben Israel, member of SpaceIL's board of directors and chairman of the Israel Space Agency, said: "We welcome Shimon Sharid's joining SpaceIL. We are convinced that the skills and diverse and many years of experience he brings with him from his previous positions will move SpaceIL forward and help renew the national mission."

Kafir Demari, one of the founders of SpaceIL, stated that "SpaceIL continues its educational activities to promote the next generation of scientists and engineers in Israel. Together with Shimon and under his leadership, we are sure that we will be able to promote another space project and inspire more young people to study and explore the field of space and above all to work towards the fulfillment of their dreams." Kafir is a member of the ROI community (of the Shusterman Foundation), an international network of about 1,000 young activists, entrepreneurs and leaders of change.

Shimon Sharid said: "I am excited to take part in a unique technological venture of national importance, the main purpose of which is to strengthen the inspiration for the youth in Israel, thus continuing to develop and maintain technological leadership in the country at the world level."