August 16, 2017- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) board of directors today elected Adv. Harel Locker for the position of the board’s chairman. The appointment will be sent for approval to the government's Companies Authority Appointments Committee and for final approval by Minister of Defense, Mr. Avigdor Liebermann and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Moshe Kahlon.
Harel Locker: “I thank the company’s board and the ministers of Defense and Finance for the trust they have placed in me. I am happy and proud for the opportunity of acting as Chairman of Israel’s largest Defense and Technology Company. The contribution of IAI to Israel’s safety and security, over the years and today, is immense. There are few companies in Israel that have such a decisive impact and influence on the lives and security of the Israeli citizens. IAI is also Israel’s largest high tech company with unbelievable capabilities and with many achievements in the development of Israel’s economy and in transforming the country into a pillar of technology. Just two weeks ago, these capabilities were demonstrated with the successful launch of two observation satellites into space, both developed by IAI. I believe that the company’s board of directors, its managers and its employees, will continue to lead IAI's development as a leading global business enterprise in its fields of expertise, for the benefit of the State of Israel, the company and its employees”.
Harel Locker was, until two years ago, between 2011– 2015, the Prime Minister’s Office Director-General. Under his responsibilities were planning, implementation and execution of the government’s socio-economic policies and programs and the approval of Israel's state budget, including the defense budget. Locker led many international partnerships and strategic national programs such as the relocation of central IDF bases to the Negev, establishment of the Government Cyber Authority, development of settlements in the Negev and areas surrounding the Gaza Strip after Operation Protective Edge, reforms in regulations governing parallel marketing of food, the privatization of Israel Military Industries, the digital Israel project and more. Locker served as decisive factor in disputes between the various government ministries, was involved in finding solutions for labor disputes that affected the economy and helped in implementing reforms in many different government offices.
Since ending his term as Prime Minister’s Office Director-General, Locker has, for the past two years, been involved in investment banking and the provision of business and legal consultation services. He serves as a director at a number of traded and private companies in the fields of technology and finance. Locker has almost 20 years’ experience as an attorney and was a senior partner in some of Israel’s leading legal offices (Shekel & Partners, Locker & Partners and S. Friedman & Partners). He was also an attorney with a leading Wall Street legal firm in New York (Fried, Frank). As part of his responsibilities he provided regular legal advice and represented leading companies and funds in many different areas of interest both in Israel and abroad.
Locker has B.A. in Law and Accounting, both from the University of Tel Aviv and an M.A. in Law (Honors) from Georgetown University in the United States.
