Media Release: Appointment of George Savvides AM as SBS Chair

The Morrison Government has appointed Mr George Savvides AM as Chair of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) for a period of five years, effective from today.

Mr Savvides brings exceptional corporate governance, business and financial experience to the role, and has extensive knowledge of SBS. 

Mr Savvides was appointed to the SBS Board as Deputy Chair on 23 February 2017 and has been Acting Chair since 3 June 2020. He is the current chair of the SBS Board Remuneration Committee and is a member of SBS’s Community Advisory Committee.

Mr Savvides has more than 30 years’ experience in the Australian and New Zealand health care sector. He was Managing Director of the government-owned enterprise, Medibank and ASX-listed Medibank Private for 14 years until 2016. He has also served as Managing Director and CEO of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Smith & Nephew and CIG Healthcare. 

Mr Savvides has an honours degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Technology Sydney. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Mr Savvides served as Chair of World Vision Australia for 18 years, and is a former Chair of Kings Transport Group Limited and Macquarie University Hospital. He is currently a board member of Insurance Australia Group Limited and NZX-listed Ryman Healthcare, and Chair of Next Science Pty Limited.

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, congratulated Mr Savvides on his appointment as Chair of SBS.

“Mr Savvides is an eminent Australian and a highly respected businessman. I am pleased that he is stepping into this position and have no doubt that as Chair he will continue to make a valuable contribution to the Board of SBS,” Minister Fletcher said.