SBS has welcomed the appointment of a new chair and board member as announced by the Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull.

In a statement from SBS, managing director Michael Ebeid welcomed the chair, Peeyush Gupta, and board member Nihal Gupta.

The SBS Board of Directors sets the strategic direction of the organisation and is responsible for deciding the objectives and policies to be followed by SBS to ensure it performs in a proper, efficient and economical manner, and with the maximum benefit to the people of Australia.

“With a background as Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, SBS occupies a special place in the media landscape, and on behalf of the Board and SBS team, we look forward to our new Board members’ contributions towards steering SBS through a dynamic but also very challenging time for our organisation and the media sector more broadly,” said Mr Ebeid.

“The SBS Board plays an important role in ensuring that we are an efficient, responsive and innovative organisation which strategically addresses the challenges and opportunities of today’s media market by playing to our strengths with innovative content that reflects our unique Charter and engages a broader cross-section of our diverse Australian community.

“Our new Chair and Board member will provide valuable insights to the Board and Executive as we continue to deliver programs and services that explore and celebrate diversity and contribute to social cohesion against the backdrop of a growing and more complex multicultural Australia.”

Nihal Gupta has been appointed by the Australian Government as Chairman of the SBS Board and Peeyush Gupta has been appointed as non-executive Director of SBS, for a period of five years.

Nihal Gupta replaces former SBS Chairman Joe Skrzynski AO who stepped down when his term ended on 26 March, and Mr Peeyush Gupta replaces Elleni Bereded-Samuel, who also ended her five year term in March.

Nihal Gupta is currently the managing director of Digital Electronics Corporation Australia and has a strong background in business and commercial sectors, particularly in relation to technology and consumer electronics. He has more than three decades of experience in the consumer electronics business of Australia. Nihal Gupta has extensive experience in international business management throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific region and currently holds a number of board positions including Trustee of the Board of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, appointee of the Judicial Commission of NSW, chairman of the NSW Multicultural Business Advisory Panel, board member of Asia Society of Australia, board member of the Naisda Foundation Limited and board member of Parramasala. He is a former Chairman of Jcurve Solutions Limited.

Peeyush Gupta has more than two decades of experience in executive, financial and strategy roles, previously holding board positions in AMP Capital Investments, the Financial planning Standards Board, Investment Funds Association and strategic policy adviser for AXA. In 2005, he was awarded the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award from the Australian Graduate School of Management and in 2003 the Distinguished Service Award from the Financial Planning Association.

Peeyush Gupta is currently the Chairman and non-executive Director on a range of commercial, public sector and not-for-profit boards including the State Super Financial Services, Charter Hall Direct Property Management Ltd, , MLC Life, Safety Return to Work and Support Board, Ascham School Council, Australian School of Business at the University of NSW, Securities Industry Research Centre of Asia Pacific and the Bank of New Zealand Life Insurance. He was the co-founder and inaugural CEO of IPAC Securities, a wealth management firm providing financial advice and institutional portfolio management in Australia and internationally.  He holds a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of NSW, and qualifications from the Harvard and London Business Schools.

The pair join other SBS non-executive directors, Dr Bulent Hass Dellal OAM (Deputy Chair), Ebeid, Patricia Azarias, Jacqueline Hey, Daryl Karp, Dorothy West and William Lenehan.

Ebeid also thanked Dr Dellal for acting in the role of Chair over the past six months and for his invaluable support during a challenging period working with Government to secure future funding for SBS, and said he would continue to provide an invaluable contribution to the Board as its Deputy Chair.