Leadership

YARIV KURSH

Senior Vice President, General Manager

Yariv came to Ex Libris after serving as General Manager of Innovative for two years.  He stepped into the expanded role as Senior Vice President of both businesses in 2022. His previous experience includes working 20 years with NICE, a leader in enterprise software solutions for businesses and nonprofit organizations of all industries. Over the course of his time with NICE, Yariv held multiple leadership roles, was instrumental in expanding the company’s global presence, and worked closely with NICE’s customers, which include over 85 of the Fortune 100 global businesses. With Yariv’s deep technical knowledge, global experience, and a collaborative, strategic spirit, his work has helped thousands of businesses around the world make smarter decisions and deliver better customer experiences. Yariv holds a technical degree, a business degree, and an MBA from the University of Hull in England.

ASAF KLINE

VP Library Solutions

Asaf Kline is VP of Library Solutions at Ex Libris, where he is currently responsible for the Alma, Rosetta, ALEPH and Voyager library management products, as well as the market-leading resource-sharing solutions Rapido and RapidILL.

Prior to taking over the Library Solutions business unit, Mr. Kline led the Alma and Rosetta product management team. He has served in various development and product management roles since joining Ex Libris in 1996.

Mr. Kline holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in business administration from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

GUY BEN-PORAT

VP Research and Discovery Solutions

Guy Ben-Porat joined Ex Libris in 2002, becoming the company’s very first Java developer. He currently heads the Discovery & Research business unit at Ex Libris, overseeing the Primo, Summon, CDI, RapidILL and Rapido products, as well as the Ex Libris Central Discovery Index.

Previously, Mr. Ben-Porat served as Ex Libris’ VP of Research and Development for Learning and Research Solutions. With his strong background in the field, he led the adoption of new technologies and played a key role in the development of Primo, Rosetta, Alma and Leganto.

Prior to joining Ex Libris, Mr. Ben-Porat was a technical architect at Surecomp®, a market leader in global trade finance solutions for banks and corporations, and at Mercado®, a leading eCommerce search and merchandising provider.

TAMMY SHOMRON-VINOGRAD

VP Business Operations

Tammy Shomron-Vinograd joined Ex Libris in 2018 as VP of Business Operations. Prior to joining Ex Libris, Ms. Shomron-Vinograd led the Business Applications group at NICE Systems following other managerial roles in Information Systems.

In her roles at NICE, Ms. Shomron-Vinograd led cross-functional process and system transformation and ongoing process and system improvements that supported the company’s growth and strategic roadmap, including extending the company’s quote-to-cash process from supporting hardware to supporting software and SaaS business.

Ms. Shomron-Vinograd holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Tel Aviv University.

EYAL KIRSHNER

VP Teaching and Learning Solutions

Eyal Kirshner joined Ex Libris in 2018 and currently heads the Teaching & Learning business unit, overseeing the Leganto product.

Previously, Mr. Kirshner served as the VP of multiple Research solutions such as Pivot-RP, Research Professional News & RefWorks.

Mr. Kirshner came to Ex Libris after 14 years at NICE Systems, where he held various executive positions in the areas of product, marketing, and strategic initiatives.

Mr. Kirshner holds a BA in Computer Science from the Reichman University in Israel.

OSNAT VILENCHIK

VP Content Operations

Osnat Vilenchik joined Ex Libris in 2019 as VP of Content Operations. In her current role, she brings her extensive experience in project administration to operations, support, development and content product management.

Ms. Vilenchik came to Ex Libris after eight years at NICE Systems, where she was the Senior Director for Continuous Improvement in the Global Customer Operations unit. While managing global interdisciplinary R&D and operations groups, she specialized in large-scale program execution, change management and customer experience innovation.

Ms. Vilenchik holds a BA in Computer Science and Education from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, as well as an MA in Industrial Management.

LESTER OWENCROFT

VP Product Marketing

Lester strategically leads marketing programs that demonstrate how community-centered solutions transform connection, collaboration and library experiences.

Lester brings a solid understanding of the library market and our business goals, having previously worked as a trusted marketing consultant and advisor in our organization since 2022. His successful tenure as a marketing executive includes key positions with NICE Ltd, Avaya, and ATSG. Lester’s keen eye for market trends and his passion for fostering innovation drove next-level growth for companies he served in the SaaS and enterprise software industries. Lester studied marketing and sales at Damelin in South Africa and earned his MBA from the University of Roehampton.

OMRI GERSON

VP Platform and Technologies

Omri Gerson currently serves as the VP of Platform and Technologies. As such, he is responsible for the technological platform that powers Ex Libris next-generation products.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Gerson served as VP Development. He has headed the Alma development team from its very beginning and played a major role in the transition of Ex Libris products to the cloud.

Mr. Gerson joined Ex Libris in 1993 and held development positions in the Aleph, SFX, and Verde teams before spearheading Alma development. Mr. Gerson holds a BSc in Computer Sciences and an MBA in Marketing & Finance, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

MELISSA HILBERT

VP Professional Services

Melissa Hilbert is VP of Professional Services at Ex Libris and Innovative, where she is responsible for the delivery of implementation and premium services across all products. She leads a global team of project, product, and industry experts who partner with libraries to implement and optimize Ex Libris and Innovative solutions.

Starting in 2005, Ms.  Hilbert has served in several roles throughout Ex Libris, gaining broad experience, building teams, and defining solutions to a wide variety of challenges.

Ms. Hilbert’s career began in libraries, where she worked for several years as an academic librarian.

Ms. Hilbert holds a BA from Tufts University, and a MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons University.

JANICE READ

VP, Deputy Counsel

Janice leads the legal team in providing legal services at Clarivate, to the benefit of our solutions and the people that use them.

Starting with Thomson Reuters in 2013, Janice has worked with the Clarivate team for over a decade, with a break teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law. Janice leverages her extensive experience with contract law and corporate governance at Clarivate and previous employers Aramark and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius to provide legal guidance to the business and steady mentorship to her team. Janice has a BA from Vassar, an MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University, and a JD from the James E. Beasley School of Law at Temple University.

RINI EAPEN

Director and HR Business Partner

With years of experience in human resources at global technology companies, Rini has a history of delivering exceptional HR support.

Rini joined ProQuest in 2016 and became part of Clarivate in 2021. With experience working in technology companies like Dell and Intel, Rini brings expertise in HR Consulting, Organization Design, Employee Development, Analytics, and Project and Talent Management—and a dedication to maximizing human potential. Rini has a BA in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, an MBA – Human Resources from the Symbiosis Centre for Management & Human Resource Development, and a Master Certificate in Human Resources from Cornell University.

JIM LYNCH

Global Head of Software Sales

With a proven record of leading sales teams, Jim understands the complexities of matching institutions with specialized solutions.

Serving as Global Head of Software Sales for Clarivate since January of 2023 and Head of North American Sales for ProQuest for five years previous to that, Jim is has a deep understanding of libraries and educational institutions. With further leadership experience at HIS Markit, Thomson Reuters, and Reuters America, Jim has proven to be a dynamic leader with measurable success in leading teams, and understands the value of nurturing relationships and optimizing customer satisfaction. Jim has a BS in Accounting/Business Management from the University of Scranton and an MBA in Investments and Securities from Adelphi University.

MENI TOUBUL

Leading Private Cloud Operations

Meni Toubul joined Ex Libris in 2009 as a devops engineer and currently is leading our private cloud operations.

As part of his role, Meni is  in-charged on our private cloud services, making sure our private cloud is secured, available and astable.

Previously, Meni led Primo Central operations group, in charged on loading new content to Exlibirs’ previous central discovery index.

Meni holds B.Sc in computer science and Executive MBA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

SARIT OLAMY

VP Human Resources

Sarit Olamy joined Ex Libris in 2003 as VP of Human Resources.

Over the past 15 years, Ms. Olamy has led the overall management, recruitment and retention of staff and has implemented all career and training development for the company. Most importantly, Ms. Olamy has ensured the strong professional development and job satisfaction of all Ex Libris employees, supporting the Ex Libris culture and mission.

Previously, Ms. Olamy served as Human Resources Manager at Trellis Photonics, where she led all HR activities. Prior to her time at Trellis Photonics, Ms. Olamy spent 5 years at Intel and Amdocs as a Compensation & Benefit and Relocation specialist.

Ms. Olamy holds an MSc in Business Management from Polytechnic University in Israel and a BA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

JED GILMORE

VP, Customer Care

Jed ensures that business operations prioritize customer satisfaction.

Jed comes to his position at Clarivate after ten years at ProQuest, starting with leading implementation and support, managing implementation and support worldwide. Jed’s extensive experience migrating operations to new platforms and previous experience at SirsiDynix has given him comprehensive understanding of the needs of public and academic libraries. Jed has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History from the University of Utah.