“Like all good things, I got into the world of the defense industry by accident,” says Tali Fridman. “I was an elementary school teacher and after a sabbatical, I joined IMI Systems’ Marketing Div. On my first day of work, I attended a cocktail party at an offset conference with British companies, at the home of the British ambassador, where I learned two important things: about the workplace I’d chosen to join, and why I shouldn’t wear high heels to events where you can’t sit down for even a moment,” she laughs.
My story
Presently, Tali leads the offset field at the Land and IMI division at Elbit. As part of her role, she is responsible for managing the offset obligations, which are key to entering into contracts with clients around the world. “In more than 100 countries today, you can’t sign deals without undertaking offsets and industrial collaborations,” she explains. “Our role is to formulate optimal programs to meet contractual obligations in a way that contributes to the contract’s profitability, helps leverage more deals, and contributes to Elbit’s reputation in the world.”
As a result, the work that Tali and Elbit’s Offset team do generates a great deal of opportunities for Elbit and its customers. The team, led by Adi Zanescu, works in full synchronization and collaboration on a daily basis; effectively demonstrating the mutual guarantee and group size advantage. “Solving the puzzle is not a simple challenge; it requires creative thinking, creating opportunities in different circles, and connecting between broad working interfaces,” Tali says.
Tali is a single mother of a 15-year-old son, Gil. “Gil is an amazing child. The opposite of me,” she says. “I’m a very orderly and structured type, not spontaneous at all. I know exactly what the plan is a week and a half in advance. Gil is always re-inventing and I’m learning to be more flexible.” She’s devoted to theater and literature and has a favorite in mind: “‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is an influential piece for me. I always go back to it and take lessons that are relevant to our lives, even today – for instance, the importance of sticking with the truth and the willingness to pay a big personal price for it.”
