Brig. Gen. (Res.) Eival Gilady
Fellow, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Reichman University; Brig. Gen. (Res.); Chairman, Western Galilee College; Former Head of IDF Strategic Planning Division; Former Head of Coordination and Strategy, PMO; Founding CEO, The Portland Trust
Brigadier General (Res.) Eival Gilady is the Chairman of Western Galilee College, which provides quality higher education to nearly 5,000 students in Israel. He also serves as Chairman of the Northern Goals Association, an organization dedicated to promoting social services for underprivileged children and families in northern Israel. In addition, he is involved in global infrastructure investment as a partner at InfraRed Capital Partners, and serves as President of Vanadis Ltd., which offers strategic consulting under the motto “Strategy beyond Borders.” Gilady is the founder and Chairman of M-Power Israel, a social innovation lab dedicated to empowering disadvantaged populations. He is also the Honorary President of the Israeli-Palestinian Chamber of Commerce, which he co-founded and chaired from 2008 to 2011, and currently serves as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Slovenia in Tel Aviv.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gilady’s philanthropic work centers on promoting social innovation, youth empowerment, and academic excellence in Israel’s underdeveloped regions. In 2008, he established the Eival Gilady Excellence Fund at Western Galilee College to encourage excellence among students, faculty, and staff. In 2014, he launched M-Power Israel to develop innovative approaches addressing education, welfare, and employment.
From 2005 to 2011, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gilady was the founder and CEO of the Portland Trust in Israel, a British foundation aimed at fostering peace and stability in the Middle East through economic development. Under his leadership, initiatives focused on Palestinian economic development through entrepreneurship and reducing poverty in Israel’s periphery through financial tools and investment. Between 2007 and 2013, he also chaired KIEDF (Koret Israel Economic Development Funds), which facilitated over $200 million in financing to 9,000 businesses, creating more than 30,000 jobs.
In 2005, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appointed Gilady as Head of Coordination and Strategy in the Prime Minister’s Office. From 2001 to 2004, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gilady served as Head of the IDF Strategic Planning Division, where he was responsible for strategic net assessment, long-term planning, national security strategy, and peace process policy. He played a key role in developing the Gaza Disengagement Plan and led national security policy and regional negotiations during the Second Intifada.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gilady’s distinguished military career in the Israel Defense Forces spanned three decades. He enlisted in 1975 and served for 20 years in command positions within the Field Artillery Corps, including operations with special forces and command of Battalion 334 during the First Lebanon War. Promoted to Colonel in 1988, he led the Field Artillery School and commanded special forces. In 1996, upon his promotion to Brigadier General, he became Assistant Chief Officer of the General Staff’s Planning Division, responsible for force build-up and long-term budgeting. As Head of the Strategic Planning Division from 2001 to 2004, he led strategic planning, diplomacy, and coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gilady holds a Bachelor’s degree and three Master’s degrees from the University of Haifa, National Defense University, and George Washington University in the fields of Resource Management, Policy Analysis, National Security Strategy, and Public Finance. He was also a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and Center for International Security and Cooperation from 1999 to 2001.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gilady resides in Kibbutz Kabri in the Western Galilee. He is married and has four children.
