Slav Ben-Ari

About

I have spent over 15 years working in R&D and Operations, focusing on the practical side of building and supporting technical teams across several countries, including Israel, Georgia, Belarus, and Poland. Much of my work has involved helping teams interpret and implement complex operational and legal requirements, ensuring a smooth connection between strategy and daily execution.

I've been involved in setting up new operations, such as launching an R&D site in Tbilisi, Georgia. My roles have included the operational aspects of site management, budget oversight, and navigating local compliance with employment laws. I believe in continuous improvement and leveraging tools like AI workflow automation and no-code platforms (n8n, Activepieces) to make HR, recruiting, and core business processes more efficient for everyone involved.

My earlier legal background provides a valuable perspective for compliance work, particularly in roles where I've served as a link between legal and technical colleagues. I aim to contribute to creating efficient, legally sound, and positive working environments where technical talent can develop and succeed.

Experience

Geniuses Recruiting | Founder | 2024 – Present
Rakuten Viber | R&D Director/Operations | 2021 – 2024
ePlane | VP R&D | 2019 – 2021
ePlane | R&D Manager | 2016 – 2019
Music Lab | R&D Manager | 2013 – 2016
Soluto | Automation Team Lead | 2008 – 2013
Microsoft | QA Engineer | 2007 – 2008

Education

The Open University of Israel | Computer Science | 2007 – 2009
Tel Aviv University | LL.B., Law | 1998 – 2002

Projects

Niles – A personal AI assistant on Telegram for reminders, calendars, weather, and daily briefings

Guest Speaker Appearances

Change Inspire 2024, the largest tech conference in Georgia
57th ADB annual meeting in Georgia, Gateway to Growth panel

Media Appearances

Marketer.ge – Quoted on strategic office design choices at Rakuten Viber
Commersant.ge – Interviewed on Rakuten Viber's expansion plans in Georgia
Rustavi2 – Covered Rakuten Viber's new Tbilisi office launch
Agenda.ge – Rakuten Viber opens Tbilisi office for mobile application development
dev.by – Interview on building an aviation parts trading platform in Brest