SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid to Exit

Michael Ebeid is stepping down as the CEO and managing director of Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).

Ebeid has led the broadcaster for the last seven and a half years. He will depart SBS on October 1. The SBS board of directors will immediately start a recruitment process for SBS’s new managing director.

Of his departure, Ebeid said: “My decision to step down has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made. Serving as the SBS Managing Director has been a real honor and privilege and I depart feeling confident that this is the right time for a new managing director to take the organization forward.

“SBS is the strongest it has been in over 40 years. We are more relevant than ever and we are ready for the future. Considering the struggle of societies globally to integrate diverse communities harmoniously, SBS today performs a critical role in the Australian community. We are the media organization audiences can come to, on their preferred platform or device, for distinctive programs and different perspectives that create a better-shared understanding within our diverse, multicultural society.

“We have been through a lot of change over the past seven years and our successes have only been achievable with the support of the SBS board of directors, our SBS executive team and of course, our dedicated SBS employees. The SBS team is the most passionate and committed that I’ve worked with in my 30-year career. Our people come to work every day motivated to make an impact and I’ve learned a lot from them during my tenure.

“Importantly, I depart the organization knowing that we have a very strong and experienced leadership team to help guide SBS forward. The organization is honored and humbled that SBS is valued by the communities we were created to serve four decades ago, and who are at the heart of our organization and the decisions we make today.”