Viber CEO Ofir Eyal Shares Journey From Reluctant Programmer to Leading Global Tech Firm
How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
By דורון אביגד
First reported by Mako · Aug 20, 2026
What happened
Ofir Eyal, once a reluctant programmer and military prison guard, is now CEO of Viber, a global messaging app owned by Japan's Rakuten. Since joining in 2014, he rose to lead 600 employees, navigating cultural challenges and expanding Viber’s presence in markets like the Philippines and Greece. After exiting Russia due to the Ukraine war, Viber returned to profitability and integrates AI to boost growth.
- 01Ofir Eyal rose from poor student and military prison guard to CEO of Viber with 600 employees.
- 02He joined Viber in 2014 after its $900 million sale to Japan’s Rakuten and became CEO 4.5 years ago.
- 03Viber dominates markets like the Philippines and Greece but struggles in Israel and Japan.
- 04The company exited Russia post-2022 Ukraine invasion, losing 40% of users and revenue.
- 05Viber returned to profitability in 2024 and expects record profits in 2025.
- 06Eyal emphasizes employee-first leadership and integrates AI features like ChatGPT to enhance the app.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
Full coverage · 2 outlets
The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.
