From Paratrooper to CEO: Yochai Abadi's Unconventional Rise in Tech and Transport
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Yochai Abadi, 36, has risen to become CEO of Pcentra, the operator of Israel's Rav-Kav Online public transport payment system. His unconventional career includes leading Ofo's Israeli launch, bringing Wolt to Israel, heading Wind scooter-sharing, managing Yango's Israeli operations, and working at Gett, all before taking on his current role.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yochai Abadi is the new CEO of Pcentra, which runs Rav-Kav Online.
- He had a challenging childhood and left his kibbutz upbringing.
- Abadi led the Israeli launches of Ofo, Wind, and Yango.
- He also played a role in bringing Wolt and Gett to Israel.
- He served in the paratroopers and later in Gaza.
Yochai Abadi, 36, currently serves as the CEO of Pcentra, a company operating the Rav-Kav Online public transport payment system in Israel. His career path has been marked by rapid progression and leadership roles at a young age, beginning after his military service in the paratroopers.
Abadi's early life was challenging, with difficulties in school attributed to attention and concentration issues, which he felt were often misunderstood as disciplinary problems. After completing his matriculation exams, he left his kibbutz upbringing in Degania Alef, seeking a more diverse environment. He pursued a bachelor's degree in Geo-Informatics at the Hebrew University, where he also studied Chinese.
His entry into the business world began at 26 when he joined the Israeli operations of the bike-sharing company Ofo. Despite initial rejections from municipalities, they successfully launched a pilot program and later established operations in Ramat Gan and Tel Aviv. When Ofo faced global bankruptcy, Abadi and his colleagues sold off the remaining 4,000 bikes.
Following this, Abadi was instrumental in bringing the food delivery app Wolt to Israel. However, he chose to become the CEO of the scooter-sharing company Wind at age 27. Within three years, Wind captured 65% of the Israeli market, focusing on availability, quality, and competitive pricing.
Abadi then moved to manage the Israeli operations of Yango, a ride-hailing service owned by Russia's Yandex, and also launched Yango Deli. The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war prompted him to leave the company due to concerns about its perception and his career trajectory. He subsequently joined Gett, where he managed operations and oversaw their winning bid for a contract with the Israel Airports Authority. After a challenging period serving in Gaza, Abadi took time off and was inspired by Japan's transportation infrastructure to pursue larger-scale product development.
This led him to Pcentra, a global company specializing in payment solutions for public transport. He assumed the CEO role in March 2024. Abadi expressed a future ambition to work within the Ministry of Transport to implement policy, seeing it as a full circle for his career focused on improving mobility.