Sean O’Byrne

Sean O’Byrne has built a career at the intersection of strategy, creative storytelling, and the sometimes-chaotic art of public conversation. As Head of Social Media at SBS, he works across divisions to align editorial, marketing, and brand efforts, and plays a central role in ensuring SBS’s social presence reflects both its public broadcaster values and its diverse, contemporary audience.

Over the past 20 years, he’s worked across brand, content, strategy, and audience development but has always been more interested in people than platforms. He’s curious about what drives behaviour, what shapes narratives, and how trust is built in a kaleidoscopic media landscape. His personal interests tend to orbit the big questions, from history and philosophy to cosmology and classical music, disciplines that help us make sense of who we are and how we live together.

Sean is an advocate for moderation that is both responsive and human — the kind that supports healthier communities and protects public dialogue. This will be the focus of his session “Holding the Line” at State of Social.

He lives in the Blue Mountains with his partner Damien, a highly emotional cocker spaniel, two cats who mostly tolerate him, and a garden that reminds him daily that no one is ever in control, and nothing lasts forever.