Chris Samartzis appointed as new SPASA Victoria CEO

The SPASA Victoria board has appointed Chris Samartzis as its new CEO to replace the outgoing Brendan Watkins who held the position for 12 years.

Since 2015 Samartzis had been the general manager of VANA Ltd, the peak industry body for Victorian Newsagents. During this time he oversaw the development and growth of VANA subsidiaries, Nparcel and Nadvert, which have a national footprint with approximately 1200 members across Australia.

Samartzis has owned and operated several businesses, along with being a past VANA and ANF Director. He has a deep knowledge and understanding of the SME sector with highly developed commercial acumen, corporate governance and strategic skills.

Broad experience

His career spans industry sectors including hospitality, FMCG, retail and wholesale distribution and industry associations. He has built strong working relationships with government and key stakeholders and is keen to promote SPASA Victoria to enhance member and stakeholder value.

Samartzis holds an MBA (Executive), which will allow him to bring this relevant knowledge and expertise to his new position. He has a proven track record of implementing strategies to develop and grow businesses whilst motivating teams to consistently exceed and deliver outcomes to all stakeholders.

SPASA Victoria president Cliff Cooke says that Samartzis has accumulated a wealth of experience to bring to the role and the board looks forward to him leading the team.

Chris Samartzis can be reached on (03) 8521 0919 or emailed at chris@spasavic.com.au.