“Two years before graduating high school, I was selected by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), following a set of exams, for a special computer science education and service program in the army. That meant serving in the army [for] four and a half years instead of two.
“This made me contemplate that though the program was notoriously difficult to pass, I liked the challenge, and it seemed like a faster path to success. I learned most of my technical skills in the army service, serving in the Israeli Air Force. While serving the army, I completed my computer science studies at Bar Ilan University.”
From there she decided to further bolster her academic credentials, this time directing her focus to the study of law while simultaneously completing her master’s degree, a decision which would lead to a whole host of professional opportunities.
“After my service ended, I joined a special program in the university to acquire a law degree along with an MBA. In parallel I worked at DSPC (and Intel, which acquired the company). After three years of combining studies and work, close to my graduation, I started my own company — Discretix Technologies. I was in charge of the research, but practically involved in all of the development, marketing, intellectual property, and business development. Typical founder…
“After about three years, I spent a year doing my internship and getting the bar license in Israel while working at Finjan part time. I was recruited for that job by the CFO, a colleague from DSPC, primarily because of my experience with the mobile world, which Finjan wanted to enter. During that time, I also established the Malicious Code Research Center. Following that year, I joined for a longer term as the VP of business development.”
Having assumed a number of high profile positions with several major tech companies, Elbaz has experienced many notable professional highlights over the course of her career. She believes that founding her own company has taught her an invaluable personal lesson about forming long-lasting partnerships with individuals and businesses which helped open doors for her in her career. Establishing her own company also helped her mature into the sleek business figure she is today.
In addition to securing several patents, she also professes to having learned the value of good management and marketing, both necessary skills in building a business from the ground up or expanding an established one.
“Good technology can be disposable without the right marketing,” she affirms.
She has also garnered much wisdom from navigating the traditionally male-dominated technology industry, an experience she describes as both a challenge and an accomplishment, showing her that “some things can only be learned by living them.”
Elbaz has also benefited from professional mentors whose guidance has delivered her to the position of success today. The most prominent among them was the vice president of human resources at DSPC, its first civil recruiter. She describes him as “a wise man I would keep next to me if I were to build many companies.”
Of course, she also credits her success to the influence and support of colleagues who have become close friends who “will go with me for a few rounds!”
Having achieved so much at such a young age, Elbaz has produced an effective model of success for those seeking to gain a footing in the competitive field of technology. For the aspiring tech professional, she advises three key strategies for success:
- Try everything while you’re young.
- Think of what’s important to you — fame, wealth, or anything else. It will help you guide yourself in the right direction early.
- Stay tuned with technology. No matter what your position, it will give you a powerful view/opinion.
| Q. What do you do for fun? A. Museums and galleries, painting, tennis, traveling, music, and cooking. Q. What CD is in your CD player right now? A. Dave Mathews Band. Q. What is the last magazine you read? A. Wired. Q. Who is your role model? A. My mom. Q. What makes you laugh? A. House. |
