SpaceIL announces new CEO Shimon Sarid to lead Beresheet 2 project
Sarid gained experience in engineering, command and management during his 28-year tenure with the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
By ZACHARY KEYSERSpaceIL(photo credit: COURTESY SPACEIL)
Lt.-Gen. (res.) Shimon Sarid was recently appointed as the new CEO of SpaceIL by the company's executive committee and will begin his responsibilities in March, leading all SpaceIL activities including the "Beresheet 2," while promoting the construction of a manned spacecraft in the future, the agency formally announced on Wednesday.“We are happy to welcome Shimon Sarid to SpaceIL. We are certain that his skills and years-long experience earned in his previous roles will help push SpaceIL forward and will assist in the renewed launch of this national mission,” said Prof. Yitzhak Ben-Israel, member of the SpaceIL managing board and chairman of the Israeli Space Agency.Newly appointed SpaceIL CEO, Brig.-Gen.(Res.) Shimon SaridSarid gained experience in engineering, command and management throughout his 28-year tenure with the Israeli Air Force. Most recently, he headed the technical division for the IAF, and before that he held various leadership positions for defense contractor Elbit Systems, most notably as CEO of their Silver Arrow subsidiary and as the VP of their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) division. He initiated and led the development of the Hermes 900 UAV in addition to other projects during his tenure with Elbit.Sarid graduated from Technion University in Haifa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Space and Aeronautics Engineering, and earned his masters through a joint degree program offered by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Boston University, focusing on science management.“SpaceIL continues its educational activities meant to advance the next generation of Israeli scientists and engineers,” SpaceIL co-founder Kfir Damari said. “Together with Shimon and under his leadership, we are confident that we can advance an additional space project and inspire more youths to learn and study space – and, most importantly, to work toward realizing their dreams.”
