SBS farewells chair George Savvides
SBS chair George Savvides departs the organisation today, having steered the broadcaster through significant challenges and commercial growth.
Savvides joined the SBS board in February 2017, as deputy chair, before being appointed chair in July 2020. Current SBS deputy chair Christine Zeitz will serve as acting chair until a new chairperson is appointed by the Federal Government. Mumbrella sought clarification from SBS on when a new chair would be appointed, and was referred to the minister’s office.
Savvides immediately came under pressure on taking up the chair in mid 2020, with former SBS cadet journalist Kodie Bedford accusing the organisation of racism. The allegations of Bedford and others were followed by criticism of the SBS board for not being sufficiently racially diverse.
There followed a period of high turnover at the board, with a majority now appointed in the past four years.
Prior to joining the network, Savvides was CEO of Sigma and Medibank, and served as chair of World Vision, Kings Group, Macquarie University Hospital, and Next Science. He is current chair of IMED Radiology, and a board member of Insurance Australia and Buildxact Software. In 2020, Savvides was made a member of the Order of Australia, for significant service to the community, to charitable groups, and to business.
During his time at SBS, Savvides was also chair of the board remuneration committee, and a member of SBS’s community advisory committee.
George Savvides
SBS managing director, James Taylor, praised “the immense contribution he has made to SBS over the last eight years”, in a media statement farewelling Savvides.
“From the very beginning, he saw the potential and responsibility of SBS — not just to be a broadcaster, but to be a builder of trust, identity, and inclusion in this country.
“He’s been a fierce advocate for SBS’s independence and public value, and his voice has carried weight with government and community stakeholders who trust and respect him deeply.”
Savvides described his time as SBS chair as “one of the greatest privileges of my professional life”, and “the role of a lifetime” in the release.
“I’m proud that SBS continues to go from strength to strength, delivering essential services to all Australians with a strong focus on building respect, understanding and cohesion to deliver better social and economic outcomes for all the communities we serve,” he said.
“SBS is a public institution that enjoys deep levels of trust among our audiences in an age of misinformation and polarisation. It continues to be an exemplar, offering a seat at the table to all Australians in every language, from every background, across a diverse range of experiences.
“The story of SBS is – and always has been – the story of Australia.’’
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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