Boaz Levy
Boaz Levy | |
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| Born | 25 September 1961 |
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Boaz Levy (born September 25, 1961) is the President & CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). He is an expert in advanced missile and space systems. From 2013 to 2020, he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of IAI's Systems, Missiles & Space Group. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of ELTA Systems and IAI North America.
Biography
[edit]Levy was born and raised in Netanya, Israel. He attended ORT Leibowitz High School in Netanya. He served in the Israeli Air Force as a specialist in guided weapon systems and air-to-air missiles.
In 1989, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Space Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. In 2000, he completed a Master of Science in Systems Engineering at the Technion. He is also a graduate of the Directors and Senior Executives program at Tel Aviv University.
Career at Israel Aerospace Industries
[edit]Upon completing his bachelor's degree in 1989, Levy joined Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) as a guidance and control engineer at the MLM Division. He was part of the design team for the "Arrow" project, where he held various roles, including guidance and control engineer, chief engineer of the "Arrow" missile, chief engineer of the "Arrow" weapon system, and head of the "Arrow" program administration. Under his leadership, the "Arrow" project was declared operational by the Israel Defense Forces.
In 2006, he established the administration for the "Barak 8" air defense system within the MBT Missiles Division, leading it from system design to operational status in the Israeli Navy and marketing it to additional clients.
In 2010, he was appointed General Manager of the Air Defense Systems Division, a new division he founded at IAI. In this role, he secured significant international contracts and managed a series of complex system tests.
In 2013, Levy was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager of IAI's Systems, Missiles & Space Group, overseeing approximately 3,700 employees across six facilities in Yehud and Be'er Ya'akov. During his tenure, the group achieved record annual sales exceeding one billion dollars and amassed an order backlog of over seven billion dollars, becoming the most profitable division within IAI.[1][2]
In 2016, he led the acquisition of TSG (in partnership with Formula Systems) in the field of information and communication technology and has since served as Chairman of its Board. Additionally, since 2017, he has been the acting Chairman of Stark Aerospace.
Throughout his over 30-year tenure at IAI, Levy has overseen numerous national and international projects, including the "Arrow 2" test series, joint production of the "Arrow" in the United States in collaboration with Boeing, laying the groundwork for the "Arrow 3" system for exo-atmospheric interception, and leading the system to operational status in the Israeli Air Force, including a series of system validation tests. He led the launch processes of several "Ofek" series satellites for space observation, the launch of the "Amos 4" communications satellite, addressed the failure of SpaceX in launching the "Amos 6" satellite, and signed a development agreement for the national communications satellite "Dror 1." Additionally, he managed the collaboration between IAI and the SpaceIL organization in developing, manufacturing, and launching the Israeli "Beresheet" spacecraft to the moon.
During his roles at IAI, Levy led the signing of numerous major deals, including contracts for the sale of the "Barak 8" system worth 2.4 billion dollars, Israel's largest defense deal as of 2020, and the sale of the "Arrow" system to Germany, signed in September 2023, also the largest defense deal in Israel's history at that time, valued at 3.6 billion dollars.[3]
In 2004, he received the Defense Minister's Project of the Year Award
President & CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries
On November 16, 2020, Levy was selected by the Board of Directors of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to serve as President & CEO. However, the Minister of Defense at the time, Benny Gantz, refrained from approving the appointment, leading Levy to serve as Acting CEO[4]
In January 2022, Gantz officially approved his permanent appointment.[5]
In May 2024, Levy was appointed Chairman of IAI’s subsidiary, ELTA Systems.
The years 2021, 2022, and 2023, as well as 2024, during which Levy served as Presidrnt & CEO, were the most profitable in the company’s history, with its order backlog surpassing 25 billion shekels.[6][7][8]
In 2023, the company’s international credit rating was upgraded to A-, with an evaluation stating that IAI “continues to demonstrate strong operational performance, with its order backlog reaching a record high of $21 billion.” A report by S&P further noted that “production rates remain largely unaffected by the war and reserve duty mobilizations.”
That same year, as an alumnus of the Technion, Levy was elected to serve on its Board of Governors.
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During his tenure as IAI's President & CEO, the Iron Swords War took place, in which IAI’s systems were widely used. Notably, the "Arrow" missile defense system was employed to intercept ballistic missiles launched at Israel from Yemen and Iran.
Awards and Honors
In September 2023, Levy was named one of The Jerusalem Post’s 50 Most Influential Jews in the World. That same year, he was awarded the Bialkin Leadership Award by the America-Israel Friendship League[9][10]
He was also included in the Top 100 Positively Influential Jews in the World list by the German newspaper The Algemeiner.[11]
In January 2024, Aviation Week listed Levy among the Key Figures in the Global Defense Sector for 2024. That same year, he was chosen to light the Defender’s Torch during Israel’s 76th Independence Day celebrations.[12][13]
Levy has been a recipient of multiple Israel Defense Awards, the most recent of which was granted in 2024[14][15]
Personal Life
[edit]Levy is married to Bat-Chen, a father of two, and a grandfather to one grandchild. He resides in the town of Pardesiya
References
[edit]- ^ "בועז לוי מונה למנהל חטיבת טילים וחלל בתע"א". Techtime - חדשות אלקטרוניקה והייטק (in Hebrew). 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ האווירית, התעשייה (2013-01-03). "בועז לוי מונה לסמנכ"ל התעשייה האווירית ומנהל חטיבת מערכות טילים וחלל". הידען - Hayadan (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ פינקו, אייל (2021-06-06). "ברק 8 – ההיסטוריה הלא כתובה | Israel Defense". www.israeldefense.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "התעשייה האווירית תבנה לוויין תקשורת לאומי". ynet (in Hebrew). 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "בני גנץ אישר: מנכ"ל חדש לתעשייה האווירית". Ice (in Hebrew). 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ דומבה, עמי רוחקס (2023-11-23). "הושלמה עסקת המכירה של מערכת ׳חץ 3׳ לגרמניה | Israel Defense". www.israeldefense.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ זקן, דני (2022-03-16). "התעשייה האווירית: 2021 - השנה הטובה ביותר מאז הקמת החברה". Globes. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ דומבה, עמי רוחקס (2023-03-09). "תעשייה אווירית, 2022: צבר ההזמנות גדל בכשני מיליארדי דולרים | Israel Defense". www.israeldefense.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "50 Influential Jews: Boaz Levy and Amir Peretz - No. 21". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "Israel Aerospace head Levi receives Bialkin Leadership Award from America-Israel Friendship League". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ Algemeiner, The (2022-11-30). "The Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, 2022 - Algemeiner.com". www.algemeiner.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ www.iai.co.il https://www.iai.co.il/heb/node/565. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "תואר יוקרתי במיוחד לנשיא ומנכ"ל התעשייה האווירית - וואלה כסף". וואלה (in Hebrew). 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "חץ בין העיניים: הלילה שבו ישראל הציגה את חומת ההגנה הטובה בעולם - וואלה חדשות". וואלה (in Hebrew). 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ אייכנר, איתמר (2024-05-04). "בעקבות יירוט המתקפה האיראנית: בכירי התעשיות הביטחוניות ישיאו משואה". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-04-01.