Sergeant, who in 2007 was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the events industry, will commence his new role early this month.
Harvey Lister, the Chairman and CEO of AEG Ogden, the venue's manager, said the company was fortunate to have an executive of Sergeant's standing and experience to take on such a key role managing one of the world’s premier entertainment arenas.
Sergeant takes over from David Humphreys, who was appointed general manager of the new Perth Arena, which will open in 2012 and also be operated by AEG Ogden. Humphreys will work alongside Sergeant during the next month to ensure a seamless handover of the general manager’s role.
"Acer Arena is now regularly recognised as one of the leading arenas in the world," said Lister. "It was important in replacing David that we found someone with extensive international knowledge and industry contacts to be able to take the venue to the next level. Paul Sergeant is precisely the right person to do that."
While British born and bred, it was a homecoming of sorts for Sergeant. His wife Chris and children Bo and Coco are Australian and Sergeant was part of the AEG Ogden Family of Facilities as general manager of Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane between 2007 and 2009.
"It is great to have Paul back in the fold and having seen firsthand what he achieved in Brisbane, I look forward to him making an even bigger impression at Acer Arena," Lister said.
“Sydney is one of the great cities in the world and Acer Arena is a magnificent facility with a reputation to match," said Sergeant. "The performance and reputation of Acer Arena is a testament to the fantastic work by David and his team and I am looking forward to building the business further on the solid platform he has created."