Israel's Oil Refineries names military veteran Moshe Kaplinsky as CEO

Israel’s Oil Refineries (ORL) said on Monday it named Moshe Kaplinsky as its new chief executive officer to replace Shlomi Basson.

Kaplinsky, 63, most recently served as CEO of Israeli cement producer Nesher between 2013 and 2020 after a 30-year career in Israel’s military, where he reached the rank of major general.

After retiring from the military in 2007, he became CEO of Better Place, a short-lived electric vehicle venture, until 2012.

Kaplinsky in a statement called ORL “a vital industry for the economy that has sharpened in recent times.”

ORL, Israel’s largest refining and petrochemicals group and controlled by Israel Corp, last week said it swung to a loss in the first quarter as refining margins plummeted in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.