The quiet giant: How George Stamas redefined success through service and integrity 

From his early days cleaning office floors to leading a company of 4,000 and transforming lives through quiet philanthropy, George Stamas AM has built a legacy rooted in empathy. As GJK Facility Services turns 40, Stamas reflects on the values that shaped him – and the communities he’s determined to give back to. 

George Stamas isn’t particularly interested in being in the spotlight and doesn’t care for mentions in the media much at all. But sit down with him for an hour and you’ll find what really drives him: his people and the community his company serves. 

For 40 years, Stamas has been the driving force behind GJK Facility Services, one of Australia’s largest privately-owned cleaning and facility services companies. From humble beginnings in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, GJK today employs more than 4,000 people across Australia and New Zealand. Stamas, who received the Order of Australia in 2022, is involved in numerous philanthropic endeavours. 

But Stamas’ journey doesn’t begin with a generational handout – or even venture capital. It’s a lot messier than that. Think: a 17-year-old Brunswick boy working part-time as a musician, and part-time scrubbing toilets. 

“I was 17 when I took a job as a part-time cleaner,” he says. “It was just a way to earn some money while I was playing music on the weekends. But what I didn’t realise was that I was learning something deeper – about dignity, hard work, about people.” 

Before launching his own company, Stamas also worked for several national and international organisations, gaining valuable experience and perspective that would later influence his approach to building GJK. 

This part-time gig didn’t just set him on the path to founding his own facility services; it altered his entire perspective on management and ultimately laid the foundation for his leadership philosophy. 

“I think a Managing Director should always have a conscience,” he says. “Success isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about your humanity – what you give back, how you treat people, and the legacy you leave behind.” 

Born in 1958 to Greek migrant parents, Stamas’ early years were shaped by the frugal discipline and determined work ethic of post-war immigrant life. His father, a VicRail employee, and his mother, a homemaker, instilled values that would remain with him for life. “We had no money or very little of it,” he says. “But what we had was a strong sense of duty, community, and perseverance.” 

Twenty years ago, he partnered with the Victorian Government and the Brotherhood of St Laurence to launch a pilot program for long-term unemployed residents of public housing. His industry peers called it risky. He thought it necessary. 

“I knew what it was like to come from nothing,” he says. “I knew what people were capable of if someone just opened a door.” 

That door became the Public Tenant Employment Program, a now decades-long initiative that has helped hundreds find dignity in work and stability in life. The program even made its way to Harvard, where it received global recognition. 

Later, Stamas played a key support role in the founding of Killara Services, an Indigenous-owned and led facility company that now employs hundreds across Australia. He mentored managing director Jasmine Newman through the early challenges, offering not just capital, but belief. 

“When you’re from a marginalised community, the first thing you need is to feel safe,” he says. “Jasmine created that space for her people. All I did was help her light the path.” 

A focus on supporting women

Stamas has also made a lasting impact on women’s healthcare and wellbeing through targeted philanthropy. He funded the installation of the Trident Imaging System at Epworth Hospital, a portable X-ray machine that enhances breast cancer surgery by providing real-time imaging. Alongside his wife, Jaqui Maree Stamas, he also supported the Centre for Eye Research Australia with an AI-assisted portable camera that enables on-the-spot eye screenings for pregnant women with diabetes, helping prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. 

His support extends to vulnerable women facing domestic violence, partnering with the Women’s Housing Company NSW to fund scholarships that cover training, transport, childcare, and mentorship – resources aimed at restoring dignity and independence. Stamas and his wife are  behind the George & Jacqui Maree Fellowship, a 12-week program offered in partnership with the Women’s Housing Company, that supports women in building skills, confidence and capacity to create purposeful and independent lives. 

Stamas also supports the Lighthouse Foundation in providing shelter and therapeutic care for homeless women and children, helping them rebuild in secure, supportive environments. In education, he donated to RMIT University to establish the GJK Facility Services Scholarship, which supports women, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), opening pathways to opportunity and equity. 

“If we can help a woman and her child build a better future, there is no greater gift,” Stamas says. As a result of his extensive contributions, Stamas was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2022. 

Forging a culture of giving 

Outside of work, Stamas has spent decades quietly serving on boards and foundations: AustralianSuper, the Epworth Medical Foundation, and various other industry associations. 

He has also served for over 20 years on the boards of the Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA) and the Facility Management Association (FMA), mentoring and supporting industry leaders while contributing his experience to advancing standards and professional development across the sector. 

He and his family have established scholarships, including for First Nations students and frontline healthcare workers. 

But Stamas rarely speaks about these contributions unless pressed. 

“I don’t believe in giving for recognition,” he says. “You give because someone once gave to you. Because it’s the right thing to do.”  

At 67, with two sons in leadership roles at GJK and five grandchildren, Stamas is not planning a quiet retirement. He remains the Managing Director, mentoring the next generation of leaders and reminding them that profits don’t matter much if you lose your people. 

“Every new executive I bring in, I tell them there are two KPIs,” he says. “One is performance. The other is morals. You don’t get to lead here unless you care.” 

The culture of giving he’s established is so deeply embedded into the business that when GJK turned 40, his team surprised him – not with a grand celebration, but with a plan to donate to 40 different charities in honour of the company’s legacy. One example was donating to scholarships at the Baggarrook Yurrongi First Nations Midwifery Program. 

He didn’t suggest it. They just knew it is what he’d want. 

“That moment meant more to me than any award,” he says. “Because it told me they understood what we stood for.” 

The Baggarrook Yurrongi program was developed to explore a new, culturally safe model of care for first nations women. Following the successful implantation of the program in 2018, double the number of women having a First Nations baby are booking in for care.  

Stamas’ story is not one of overnight success but of decades of purpose-driven leadership. It’s a story of staying humble in success, committed in adversity, and generous throughout. In every sense, it’s the story of a quiet giant – building not just a business, but a legacy. 

More information about George can be found on www.georgestamas.com and www.georgestamas.com/news