Daniel Gordon, Contributor at Large
Since 1980, David Elmaleh has been a familiar face and foundational pillar at Mini-Circuits Israel (MCIL). In January 2022, he bids farewell en route to his well-earned retirement after transitioning the crucial position of engineering manager to his successor, Efron Fleisher.
Elmaleh and Fleisher spent more than a year working together, allowing Elmaleh to impart his knowledge and experience from 20 years in the engineering manager role and more than 40 years with MCIL, formerly known as Ravon Electronics. Meanwhile, Fleisher brings deep technical expertise of his own along with a passion for management.
Elmaleh started with Ravon shortly after the company’s inception and worked his way up from an entry-level role to testing manager, engineering designer, and ultimately, engineering manager. Through the years, he saw his loyalty consistently rewarded and his ideas implemented. He cherishes the time he got to spend working closely with late founders Rafi Stolz and Harvey Kaylie, both of whom left lasting legacies on MCIL and Mini-Circuits as a whole.
During Kaylie’s visits to Israel, Elmaleh and Kaylie would share ideas and bring them to life seemingly—and sometimes literally—overnight. Elmaleh recalls an instance that saw them go from simply “talking shop” about test fixtures one evening around 10 p.m. to designing one bright and early in the lab the next morning.
There was also the time when Elmaleh visited Mini-Circuits’ headquarters in New York with colleagues. Kaylie saw to it that they enjoyed all of the city’s attractions that week, capped off by a memorable meal at a Jewish restaurant on Friday night. After dinner, Elmaleh assumed Kaylie was taking the group to the hotel where everyone was staying. It turned out that he was taking them to the Brooklyn lab to work.
“[Kaylie] was a person you could learn a lot from,” Elmaleh said. “Our collaboration led to a lot of designs.”
As Elmaleh reflects on his impressive tenure, Fleisher looks forward to continuing the tradition. Fleisher spent nearly a decade with a leading aerospace and aviation manufacturer in Israel before joining MCIL in 2020. He’s excited by the opportunity to serve in a managerial role at a global company and knew early in the interview process that MCIL was where he wanted to be. “Mini-Circuits shines honesty, fairness and goodwill that are not always common in the technology industry,” Fleisher said. “It’s an extremely diverse company with strong values.”
Fleisher applauds and appreciates Elmaleh’s welcoming demeanor and thorough training throughout the transition. “I’ve never seen someone so open and willing to help a new hire,” Fleisher said of Elmaleh. “It’s humbling, inspiring and motivating.”
As MCIL’s new engineering manager, Fleisher is working across multiple internal teams to add efficiencies and reach higher component frequencies. He shows the same endless motor that makes MCIL a Center of Excellence in the heart of Israel’s high-tech sector
“This is what you live and work for,” Fleisher says. “It gives you satisfaction knowing that you’re making a positive impact on many lives and industries.”
Elmaleh, whose retirement plans include carpentry, winemaking and of course family time, knows MCIL is in good hands. “[Fleisher] is always focused on the target,” Elmaleh said. “He asks the right questions, gets involved, and is absolutely the right person for the job.”
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