“When I talked to friends who were doing MBAs elsewhere I realised UTS was much more practical, but that seems to be in the DNA of UTS.”
George Savvides AM
Master of Business Administration, 1985
At a glance
- Long‑time healthcare CEO; led major ASX‑listed companies.
- Transformed Medibank; IPO and major market growth.
- Current chair roles; advocate for healthcare reform.
George Savvides AM has over 25 years experience as a CEO of Australian and New Zealand healthcare companies.
Awarded Order of Australia AM Honours Australia Day 2020.
George today is Chairman of Next Science Ltd, Chairman of SBS Australia, and a non-executive director of Ryman Healthcare NZ, and a non executive director of IAG. He is a former advisor to consulting group Sodia.
In 2016 he retired as CEO of Medibank Private, Australia's largest health fund, where under his leadership for 14 years market capitalisation improved from $1B to $6B and Medibank successfully completed their IPO onto the ASX in 2014.
Prior to Medibank, he was CEO of Sigma Pharmaceuticals for 5 years, which he successfully listed via IPO to the ASX in 1999 and acquired 6 businesses that significantly expanded the company’s retail, wholesale and manufacturing capability.
George has retired as the Chairman of World Vision Australia in 2018 after 18 years of volunteer service. He was previously Chairman, Macquarie University Hospital and Chairman Kings Transport Group.
George remains a strong advocate for healthcare sector reform.
He continues to contribute to World Vision Australia by supporting early childhood indigenous education in central Australia.
Savvides has a degree in Engineering from UNSW and a Master of Business Administration from UTS.
"I enjoyed the UTS experience because the lecturers weren't just from the academic stream. They also employed men and women who had senior executive roles in the broader commercial market place and appointed them to the evening class faculty. They weren't just delivering a theoretical proposition but real boiler plate-tested practice with excellent case studies. When I talked to friends who were doing MBAs elsewhere I realised UTS was much more practical, but that seems to be in the DNA of UTS."
Explore
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Dr Anna Funder gained her Doctorate of Creative Arts at UTS. Her best-selling novel All that I Am, was born in the UTS Tower.
While you may have heard of her inclusive performance style, ongoing charity advocacy (and maybe even her 2020 UTS Young Alumni Award), most people don’t know that Emma is also a skilled filmmaker – having graduated from UTS with a Master of Media Arts Production in 2012.
After Joe was born, who was my last child, I enrolled in a Communications course at UTS and that was to change my life.
High Jackman completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at UTS. He says "My passion and fire for learning was lit at UTS"
Dr Anna Funder gained her Doctorate of Creative Arts at UTS. Her best-selling novel All that I Am, was born in the UTS Tower.
While you may have heard of her inclusive performance style, ongoing charity advocacy (and maybe even her 2020 UTS Young Alumni Award), most people don’t know that Emma is also a skilled filmmaker – having graduated from UTS with a Master of Media Arts Production in 2012.
After Joe was born, who was my last child, I enrolled in a Communications course at UTS and that was to change my life.