Business and technologyיאיר כהן

Yair Cohen

Yair Cohen is an Israeli reserve brigadier general who commanded Unit 8200 and later served as an executive and director in technology and investment companies.

born 1954Commanding Unit 8200Founding Elbit Systems' cyber divisionTeaching cyber at Israeli universities

Born: 16 July 1954
Occupation: manager, chief executive officer, military officer
Education: Bar-Ilan University
Rank: tat aluf

Yair Cohen was born in 1954

Yair Cohen was born on July 16, 1954, and grew up on Kibbutz Ein HaHoresh. His parents, Hana and Yano, came to the kibbutz in 1939 on the last train the Nazis let Jews take out of Czechoslovakia. In 1972 he studied Arabic at Givat Haviva.

In 1985 he completed a bachelor's degree in history and Arabic language and literature at Bar-Ilan University. In 2000 he earned a master's degree in business administration and national resource management from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

He joined the Intelligence Corps in 1973 and spent his career in Unit 8200, holding posts that included head of its northern arena during the Gulf War and deputy commander. He commanded the unit from 2001 to 2005 and was discharged in 2005.

In 2005 he became vice president of Elron and served as a director of several of its companies. From 2009 to 2015 he headed the cyber division he founded at Elbit Systems, and in 2015 and 2016 he was CEO of Pri-Tech's technology investment group.

From 2012 to 2018 he was a member and chair of the IDF award committee for technologies and technologists. Since 2016 he has taught cyber courses in master's programs at Tel Aviv, Bar-Ilan and Haifa universities. He is married to Dafna, and they have 4 children.

Yair Cohen's life in 9 milestones

1973
Joined the Intelligence Corps and Unit 8200.
1985
Completed a bachelor's degree at Bar-Ilan University.
1993
Became commander of the unit's intelligence center as a colonel.
2000
Earned a master's degree in Washington, D.C.
2001
Became commander of Unit 8200.
2005
Left the IDF and became vice president of Elron.
2009
Founded the cyber division at Elbit Systems.
2015
Became CEO of Pri-Tech's technology investment group.
2016
Began teaching cyber courses at Israeli universities.

Yair Cohen served in Unit 8200

Cohen served in Unit 8200 from 1973, holding roles including head of the northern arena in the Gulf War, intelligence center commander as a colonel and deputy commander. He commanded the unit from 2001 to 2005 and holds the reserve rank of brigadier general.

Unit 8200