Djamel Agaoua is stepping down and will be replaced in the interim by current COO Ofir Eyal
Rakuten Viber is announcing today the appointment of Ofir Eyal as interim CEO. Djamel Agaoua is stepping down after four and a half years as CEO, and Eyal will transition into the interim position from his role as Chief Operating Officer.
Eyal is a Viber veteran, first joining Viber as Vice President of Product in 2014 before his promotion to Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Before joining Viber, Eyal worked on Citibank’s flagship mobile trading app for its institutional customers worldwide.
In his previous roles at Viber, Eyal focused on user experience, customer success, content, and localization. Moving forward, he will lead Rakuten Viber’s ambitious campaign of product development, discovering new markets, and business opportunities as the company further establishes itself as a major and innovative player in the global messaging market.
Eyal and Agaoua worked closely together to support the company’s successful audience growth and introduce new sources of monetization. Rakuten Viber today is a fast-growing and profitable company committed to investing in new product features.
Since its launch in 2010, Rakuten Viber has become a leader among global communication apps. The company also set the foundations for future development as a multi-purpose platform, adding payment capabilities and community-building features for businesses and celebrities. Rakuten Viber continues to add exciting new features, exemplified by its recent collaboration with Snap to bring AR Lenses to the app and support content creation.
“I am proud to assume the role of interim CEO to guide and guard Viber’s vision towards our next challenges. Above all, I aim to maintain the high standards and innovative spirit established by my predecessor Djamel, in his exceptional contributions to the company. I would like to thank him for the past four years,” said Eyal. “I have a deep sense of appreciation for and obligation to Viber’s mission and our users, and I believe we are more ready than ever to deliver on the promise of our technology.”