Michael Ebeid

Michael Ebeid
Born	Cairo, Egypt
Occupation(s)	Corporate leader, CEO, Managing director
Years active	1990s–present
Known for	CEO and managing director of Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)

Michael Ebeid is an Australian corporate leader who held the positions of CEO and managing director at the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) from June 2011 through October 2018. With close to thirty years of expertise in media, technology, and telecommunications sectors, he has occupied senior leadership roles at IBM, Optus Communications, Two Way Limited, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and SBS.

Career

Ebeid dedicated nine years to IBM, working in finance, sales, and marketing capacities across Tokyo and various Asian regions.

In 1995, he took on the role of Director of Commercial Operations for the Consumer Division at Optus Communications, managing $1.8 billion in revenue and leading a workforce exceeding 3,000 employees providing telephony, internet, and pay-TV services. Between 2001 and 2005, he served on the board of ASTRA, the subscription television industry association.

He was appointed COO and subsequently CEO of Two Way Limited in 2005, a company specializing in interactive television, mobile, and online entertainment. Under his leadership, the company expanded its operations into Asian markets including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and New Zealand.

Following this, Ebeid worked as executive director responsible for corporate strategy and marketing at ABC until 2011 when he assumed the CEO role at SBS.

SBS

From June 2011 until his departure on 1 October 2018, Ebeid led the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as both CEO and managing director.

Telstra

On 8 October 2018, Ebeid joined Australian telecommunications firm Telstra as Head of its Enterprise Division and became a member of the Telstra Group Executive team. He fulfilled the role of Telstra Group Executive – Enterprise from 2018 to 2020.

Honours and recognition

In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, Ebeid was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his outstanding contributions to broadcast media and multicultural affairs as a business leader and executive.

During his tenure as SBS CEO in 2017, he was awarded CEO Magazine's 'CEO of the Year' accolade and subsequently participated as a judge for this award in 2018.

Personal life

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Ebeid relocated to Sydney, Australia, when he was three years old. He publicly came out as gay during the 1990s and is acknowledged as one of Australia's leading media personalities. In November 2018, he entered into marriage.