Even at first glance the incoming VU Chancellor George Pappas gives the impression of being an exceptionally good fit for the role.

A first-generation Australian of Greek heritage, Pappas brings to the position a sharp business focus as a leading corporate adviser in the US, Japan and Australia. His wealth of professional experience includes chairmanship of the Committee for Melbourne, a recent stint as a senior economics adviser to the Brumby Government, and an ongoing role as chair of the Federal Government's Defence Strategic Reform Advisory Board.

Look closer and the cut of his Chancellor's cloth takes on the seamless craftsmanship of bespoke tailoring. Not least because Pappas shares something that is precious to many VU students he was the first in his family to graduate with a degree. He is a man who not only understands the business of education but whose life experience makes him acutely aware of the value of education.

As he told VU graduates at a ceremony in 2007: "I have a very simple message: the investment in my education was the most important gift that my parents, my teachers and many others gave to me."

He went on to explain that upon receiving a scholarship to study economics at Monash University after completing high school, he had to convince his mother that a graduate economist was just as employable as a doctor or lawyer. Pappas' working-class parents had made sacrifices for their children; they needed to be reassured about his career path. His father, a tailor by day, worked a second job as a waiter at night to ensure his family had every opportunity to succeed. "Doing well at school was my way of repaying my parents," he says.

Always an exceptionally bright student, Pappas topped the state in matriculation economics and British history, and performed so well at Monash that he won a second scholarship to study for his MBA at the prestigious Harvard Business School in 1969. He stayed in the US for many years after being offered a job by the country's leading business consultancy, the Boston Consulting Group. It was a long way from his native Greek island of Rhodes, but his Hellenic heritage was never far from his thoughts. The son of those who rode the great wave of post-war migration to Australia has always maintained close connections with his Greek family, friends and culture.

"I am an Australian, I am a Victorian, I am a Melburnian but I have a Greek heritage," Pappas told Australian Greek newspaper Neos Cosmos in a recent interview. "Greece is very important to me. I go back every two or three years and reconnect."

So what can VU expect from its new chancellor? Certainly he won't be jumping in unprepared. A series of briefings is bringing him steadily up to speed on the workings of the University and we won't be hearing him part with advice until he's across the brief.

"I was trained to gather data, to learn and to analyse first, and only then to speak," he says. "I think there's always an assumption that a new person coming into a role has instant advice and instant solutions to the issues. I'm not a believer in that. So I'll take my time."

More broadly, though, he indicates he is enthusiastic about the pragmatic mission of the University in preparing students for their chosen professions. "One of the things that I found very encouraging about VU when I was considering the position was the strategy of developing industry clusters and relationships and partnerships with stakeholders," he says. "These are effectively the people for whom the university exists and traditionally universities have been thought of as ivory towers, particularly those that are more academic and more research focused. I don't believe in that and I don't think this university is an ivory tower."

Nevertheless, he is the first to recognise that a research profile is essential for a university and the pre-eminence of sports and exercise science research and teaching at VU has not been lost on Pappas, who sits on the board of VU partner the Western Bulldogs.

"Institutions should concentrate on those things that they do better than anybody else. Resources should go into those areas. In that way you can develop a reputation for excellence, you can be a leader, you can attract the best people and you give a lot back to your stakeholders and the community as a result. I think sports science is a natural for VU there aren't many tertiary institutions that are doing what VU is doing in this field.

"I say to people with my Bulldogs hat on that I think of VU as our research and development department and with my VU hat on I think of the Western Bulldogs as our laboratory."

As a longstanding member and now chair of the Committee for Melbourne, a business think-tank formed in the mid-1980s to revive Melbourne's then flagging fortunes, Pappas has developed a strong understanding of what makes Melbourne work and why the city is often at the top of international liveability surveys.

Part of that, he says, is Melbourne's place as one of the great university cities of the world, and one of the most popular Australian destinations for international students. VU, he believes, has a special place in this tertiary education pantheon.

"VU is a contributor to what makes Melbourne the city that it is because VU provides a place where socially disadvantaged students can go and have their lives transformed. It plays a special role in helping us maintain a cohesive society because it provides access to education to everybody. This is one of the things that make Melbourne the place that it is."

Outside of his professional life, Pappas has long been a keen sailor, although the former Commodore of the Pt Leo Boat Club now admits to a preference for golf over yachting. He also collects Top End Indigenous art, and has made a point of visiting many of the communities where the artists reside. Another passion is gardening with a special interest in native plants. 

If caution marks the start of Pappas' tenure as Chancellor, we can expect that to evolve into a learned stewardship. The values he brings as a scholar, his acumen as a businessman and his finely tuned antenna as an economic adviser to premiers and corporate giants all send a message that the captain of the VU ship won't be perturbed by the occasional sea change.

This story forms part of the VU Vibe newsletter for February 2010. The newsletter is published every two months by the Government Liaison Unit (GLU).

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