{{Short description |Australian businessman }} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = George Savvides | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|10|20|df=y}} | birth_place = Australia | death_date = | death_place = | education = University of New South Wales, University of Technology, Sydney | occupation = Businessman | years_active = | known_for = Former Managing Director of private health insurance company Medibank Private | notable_works = | spouse = {{Marriage |Vivian Savvides |1979 }} | children = 2 }} {{about||the Cyprus lawyer and politician|George L. Savvides}}
'''George Savvides''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 20 October 1956) is an Australian businessman and chairman of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).<ref name=retire>[http://www.smh.com.au/business/medibank-ceo-george-savvides-to-retire--and-far-earlier-than-expected-20151020-gkebg1.html George Savvides to retire, and far earlier than expected ''Sydney Morning Herald'' 21 October 2015]. Retrieved 22 October 2015</ref><ref>[http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/915005768 Director Check]</ref><ref name="Chair">{{cite news|title=George Savvides announced as new SBS chair|url=https://mumbrella.com.au/george-savvides-announced-as-new-sbs-chair-634066|url-status=live|archive-date=30 September 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240930093015/https://mumbrella.com.au/george-savvides-announced-as-new-sbs-chair-634066|first=Hannah|last=Blackiston|accessdate=11 July 2020|agency=Mumbrella|date=9 July 2020}}</ref> Between 2002 and 2016 he was the Managing Director of private health insurance company Medibank Private.
==Education== Savvides is the son of Greek Cypriot parents who arrived in Australia in 1950. He was the first person in his family to go to university.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/medibank-private-chiefs-patient-path-to-good-health/news-story/70a01e0527f65b4129382feaec4968c9 |url-access=subscription |title=A patient path to good health |date=4 October 2014 |quote=The son of Greek Cypriots who arrived in Australia in 1950, Savvides was the first of his family to go to university, studying industrial engineering at the University of NSW.}}</ref> He trained as an industrial engineer<ref name=gsl>{{Cite web |url=http://www.georgesavvides.com/biography-purpose |title=George Savvides on Leadership |access-date=29 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621123230/http://www.georgesavvides.com/biography-purpose |archive-date=21 June 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and has a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from the University of New South Wales. While working full-time<ref name=gsl/> he obtained a Master in Business Administration from the University of Technology, Sydney,<ref name=MPL>[http://www.medibank.com.au/About-Us/Corporate-Information/Our-Board-and-Governance/Board-member-profiles.aspx Board member profiles] Medibank Private</ref> which included a final year thesis on the Japanese TQM & Lean manufacturing process.<ref name=gsl/>
==Career== In 1992, Savvides was CEO at Smith & Nephew (a UK-based global healthcare company), and BOC.<ref name=gsl/><ref name=CEO/> In 1996, he led Sigma Pharmaceuticals, then a private cooperative supplying pharmacists, through six major acquisitions<ref name=age/> and then in late 1999 into public ownership and listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.<ref name=CEO/> After a short stint as Managing Director of Healthpoint Technologies in 2002<ref>[http://www.asx.com.au/asx/statistics/displayAnnouncement.do?display=text&issuerId=4627&announcementId=407976.http://www.asx.com.au/asx/statistics/displayAnnouncement.do?display=text&issuerId=4627&announcementId=478496 Australian Stock Exchange]</ref> he was appointed to the board of Medibank Private as a non-executive director on 6 September 2001<ref name=MPL/><ref name=CEO>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ceoforum.com.au/article-detail.cfm?cid=6077&t=/George-Savvides--Medibank-Private/Leadership-different-organisations-common-themes/ |title=CEO Forum Group |access-date=29 May 2009 |archive-date=22 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622212125/http://www.ceoforum.com.au/article-detail.cfm?cid=6077&t=/George-Savvides--Medibank-Private/Leadership-different-organisations-common-themes/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was appointed Managing Director on 19 April 2002.<ref name=MPL/> He joined the organisation at a time when it was making a significant loss ($175 million for 2001-02), but by 2004-05 had turned that around to a record profit ($130.8 million).<ref name=age/>
Savvides was a Councillor of the Australian Health Insurance Association (AHIA) and the International Federation of Health Plans, and Director of the Australian Centre for Health Research (ACHR).<ref name=MPL/> He was also a Director of World Vision Australia (board member 1998 to 2011) and World Vision International (board member between 2001 and 2011).<ref name=gsl/> He chaired the Stewardship Committee (Finance Committee) and was a member of the World Vision International Executive Committee.<ref name=gsl/> He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.georgesavvides.com/ |title=George Savvides on Leadership |access-date=29 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620082911/http://www.georgesavvides.com/ |archive-date=20 June 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On 21 October 2015 Savvides announced his retirement from Medibank, which took effect at the end of March 2016.<ref name=retire/><ref>[https://www.medibank.com.au/content/about/media-centre/2016/03/medibank-appointscr.html Medibank Private]. Retrieved 20 July 2016</ref>
He was appointed to the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Board as Deputy Chair in March 2017. On 9 July 2020 it was announced that he had been appointed as Chair for a period of five years.<ref name="Chair" /> In September 2024, Savvides announced that he would not seek re-appointment as SBS Chair at the expiration of his second term in July 2025.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/30/australia-news-live-qantas-strikes-sydney-train-sydnenham-bankstown-albanese-dutton-chalmers-budget-surplus-labor-liberal-nsw-vic-qld?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-66f9e3388f0859f4a95e6522#block-66f9e3388f0859f4a95e6522 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930092918/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/30/australia-news-live-qantas-strikes-sydney-train-sydnenham-bankstown-albanese-dutton-chalmers-budget-surplus-labor-liberal-nsw-vic-qld?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-66f9e3388f0859f4a95e6522#block-66f9e3388f0859f4a95e6522 |access-date=30 September 2024 |archive-date=30 September 2024 |date=30 September 2024 |at=George Savvides won't seek reappointment as SBS chair |title=Police allegedly pepper-sprayed 13-year-old at Sydney rally, legal observers say – as it happened |url-status=live |work=The Guardian |first1=Amanda |last1=Meade |first3=Emily |last3=Wind |first2=Daisy |last2=Dumas}}</ref>
==Personal== Savvides married in November 1979.<ref name=age>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/healthy-diagnosis-deems-medibank-fit/2005/10/02/1128191609226.html The Age, 3 October 2005]</ref> He and his wife Vivian have sponsored, starting when they married, many children through World Vision.<ref name=gsl/> They are committed Christians and are involved in the NewPeninsula Baptist Church where he chairs the Board. His philosophy is that "the expression of our faith was never meant to be divorced from the world of work". He refers to the workplace as "the vineyard we have been called to work in where faith and work are not separated".<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.biblesocietynsw.com.au/_literature_1097/Going_to_Work_with_God_-_NEW_Bible_study_book_released |title=Going to Work with God - Bible Society NSW and MCSI release new book|date=18 August 2005|accessdate=2013-08-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001060353/http://www.biblesocietynsw.com.au/_literature_1097/Going_to_Work_with_God_-_NEW_Bible_study_book_released |archivedate=1 October 2009}}</ref>
He enjoys fast boats and has played hockey since his childhood. He played for the Melbourne University Hockey Club Blues Veterans team until 2016.<ref>[http://www.georgesavvides.com/newsclips_11.02.08.pdf The Australian, 11 February 2008]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Savvides was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to the community, to charitable groups, and to business."<ref name="2020 AO">{{cite news |last1=Stehle |first1=Mark |title=Australia Day Honours 2020: Full list of recipients |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-day-honours-2020-full-list-of-recipients-20200125-p53uqy.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930061905/https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-day-honours-2020-full-list-of-recipients-20200125-p53uqy.html |archive-date=30 September 2024 |url-status=live |accessdate=25 January 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 January 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-media}} {{s-bef|before=Bulent Hass Dellal}} {{s-ttl|title=Chairman of the Special Broadcasting Service|years=2020–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savvides, George}} Category:Living people Category:1956 births Category:Australian chief executives Category:Australian Anglicans Category:Australian people of Greek Cypriot descent Category:University of Technology Sydney alumni Category:Fellows of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Category:Members of the Order of Australia