Good vibes

OFIR Eyal started as a product manager when he joined Rakuten Viber in 2014.

Five years later, he became chief operating officer (COO) and then rose to chief executive officer (CEO) in 2021.

He describes his stint at Viber as an «honor.»

«In that time, I saw how the company steadily advanced its mission to bring people together in a better way, from building a secure and private messaging platform to offering business messages to brands to introducing innovative new features like Viber payments and SMB (small and medium business) accounts,» Eyal told The Manila Times.

«Throughout my years with Viber, I have always envisioned it as a multipurpose platform. It was always clear to me that our value was saving money when calling abroad, and we wanted to build on that as we constantly evolve and meet our users' messaging and lifestyle needs as a super app.

»We've set the foundations for this ever since Viber was launched in 2010, and that is what we're steadily working towards every single day.

«As product manager and vice president of product, I was deeply involved in the development and innovation of our core offerings. I have worked closely with managers and teams of talented professionals involved in product, UX (user experience) design, marketing, content and localization.

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»That role helped me further understand why prioritizing user needs and preferences in all aspects of our app and adapting to the constantly evolving digital landscape makes good business sense."

When Eyal was the COO, his focus expanded to the broader operational and strategic aspects of the business.

«I was responsible for managing global teams and optimizing operational efficiencies to support our growth and goal as a super app. The role also allowed me to appreciate the role of customer support and success in our overall vision for Viber.»

Long before joining Viber, Eyal briefly visited Manila.

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«It was a private trip between countries,» he said. «This is my first formal and longest visit — four days — so far.

»My stay has been fantastic. I'm mainly impressed by how people are open, warm and smiling. Everybody was super nice, even from the flight to the hotel, to the