About Us

Management

Avner Shelem - Chairman of the Board of Directors

Avner is a General Partner in Ascend Technology Ventures, a $100M fund that invested in early-stage technology companies in the fields of communications, data networking, IT, software, semiconductors and medical devices. He is also Director of a number of private and public companies. Avner has been active in the high tech marketplace for more than two decades and has a wealth of hands-on knowledge and international business experience. Prior to founding Ascend, Avner held numerous executive positions in private and public firms, including emerging and global corporations. He served as the General Manager of Gasonics International (NASDAQ: GSNX) and as COO of AG Associates in San Jose, California and held senior positions at Intel, both in the Silicon Valley and in Israel. Avner holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and a diploma in Chemical Engineering, both from Tel-Aviv University. He is also a graduate of Stanford Executive Institute at Stanford University.

Yariv Oren - CEO & Founder

Yariv has an extensive background in radio related R&D, solving mobility, coverage and connectivity issues, characterized by using sophisticated approaches to previously unresolved problems. Prior to founding Virtual Extension, Yariv served as VP R&D at TeleSciCOM, an innovator in broadband wireless communication. Previously he was VP R&D at Nexus (NASDAQ: NXUS), a Telocation Company. Yariv holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

Leor Hardy - CTO & Founder

Leor gained his hardware and radio propagation expertise in some of Israel's most challenging wireless military, space and commercial projects at TeleSciCOM, Nexus and Elisra. He has also been a consultant to Alvarion (NASDAQ: ALVR) and Metalink (NASDAQ: MTLK). Leor holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Ofec Goll - Software Manager

Ofec is an expert in real time programming and software modems. His experience includes developing the software for the Doppler radar of one of the world's most advanced missiles. Ofec holds a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Marius Gafen - Senior Marketing Director

Marius previously worked for Israel MoD in various R&D and management telecom and software projects, where he received a most prestigious award. In the last 10 years he was employed by several telecom and software companies - ArelNET, NSIcom, Coresma and Sonarics, in various senior consultancy and positions, from senior project manager to VP. Marius holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and an MBA sans thesis from the Business Management School of Haifa University, where he got an Award of Excellency.

Itai Shelem - Business Development

Having graduated with honors holding a BA in Business Economics from the University of California in Santa Barbara, Itai moved on to receive his Master of Environmental Management degree from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. He is the lead author of research published in the International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development and on occasion lectures on topics of environmental economics. Beyond the workday, Itai continues to host a weekly radio program which highlights items of culture, music, and the arts.

Founded in 2000, Virtual Extension is a privately owned company.