Sbs names Dr Nicholas Pappas AM as chair to replace George Savvides
The SBS Board and Executive welcomed the appointment of Dr Nicholas Pappas AM as Chair of the sbs Board following an announcement by the Minister for Communications and Sport, The Hon Anika Wells MP. The appointment, which commenced on 5 March 2026, closes a selection process that had left the deputy chair steering the organisation on an interim basis.
What does Sbs chair appointment mean?
Dr Nicholas Pappas AM steps into the role of Chair of Sbs after serving on the board as a non-executive director since December 2024. His formal commencement on 5 March 2026 marks a leadership handover from the interim arrangement that followed the previous chair’s retirement. The appointment was welcomed by the SBS Board and Executive and follows a selection process described in the board’s public statements.
Who is Dr Nicholas Pappas AM?
Dr Pappas is a lawyer and an experienced non-executive director who holds several roles across sporting and cultural organisations. He serves as Chair of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and is President Emeritus of The Hellenic Initiative Australia. He is also a non-executive director of the Steve Waugh Foundation, Australia, and Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum. His prior roles include service as President and board member of the Powerhouse Museum and as Chair of the Bank of Sydney. Within Sbs, he had been a non-executive director since December 2024 and had acted as deputy chair during the recruitment period.
How is the board handling the leadership transition?
The board recognised and thanked Deputy Chair Christine Zeitz for her service and commitment as Acting Chair since July 2025. The appointment of Dr Pappas completes the search for a permanent chair following that interim period. The board of directors now lists Dr Nicholas Pappas AM as Chair, Christine Zeitz as Deputy Chair, and Non-Executive Directors Vic Alhadeff OAM, Aaron Fa’Aoso, Dr Andrew Lu AM, Katrina Rathie, Cassandra Wilkinson OAM, alongside Jane Palfreyman in the role of Acting Managing Director.
The organisation remains to fill a permanent managing director role after the departure of the prior managing director. Jane Palfreyman, who serves as Acting Managing Director, is also on the board and has been identified as a candidate in the internal process for that post. The board has presented the change in chairmanship as a settled step forward while other leadership appointments continue to be determined.
As the formalities of the appointment took effect on 5 March 2026, the SBS Board and Executive reiterated their acknowledgement of those who managed the interim period and the broader composition of the board that will work with the new chair. The welcome extended to Dr Nicholas Pappas AM at the start of his term closes one chapter of recruitment and opens the next in the organisation’s governance and leadership transition.
