The board of directors of state-owned Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has appointed Yoav Turgeman as its new CEO, replacing Yoav Har-Even, who held the position for over eight years.
Yuval Steinitz, Rafael board chairman, hailed the unanimous vote and expressed confidence in Turgeman, saying he has the necessary experience, competencies and skills to steer Rafael toward its goals.
The appointment of Turgeman, a retired Israeli Navy colonel, is still subject to approval by the appointments committee, the defense minister and the regional cooperation minister overseeing Israel’s government companies. Har-Even will stay on for an extended period to assist in the transition.
Before his appointment, Turgeman served as the CEO of Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. His previous IAI roles included tenures as Arrow air defense system program head and MLM missile facility manager.
The CEO appointee served in the Israeli Navy for 25 years in various command and staff roles. He graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Tel Aviv University.