NBN Co's Quigley hangs hat in North Sydney

James Riley
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 07:20

Business IT - Networking

The NBN Company says it won’t have a headquarters operation "in the traditional sense," but that hasn’t stopped executive chairman Mike Quigley renting a place to hang his hat in North Sydney.

The company has entered rental agreements in Berry Street North Sydney, where Quigley will maintain his office and executive support staff.

But the NBN Co will take staff and skills wherever it can find them, and expects to create a "federated" management style, with substantial offices located in several locations.

The company is expected to open Melbourne office premises by the end of the month, where the recently-appointed NBN Co chief technology officer Gary McLaren will be based.

McLaren was named CTO last week, responsible for scoping the technology requirements, including the development of the network, systems and service architecture and reporting directly to the executive chairman's office.

Quigley told reporters last month he was less interested in the location of a traditional headquarters operation than he was in hiring the right people wherever they are. He made the point that relocating senior staff – and uprooting families – was disruptive, time consuming and expensive.

Rather, NBN Co would make use of available broadband-based collaborative technologies.

Steve Christian, also a Quigley direct-report named last week as head of network operations will be based in Sydney.

Meanwhile, the NBN Company has started the process of engaging the industry and is now embarking on its media drive. Quigley will meet specialist technology media for an off-the-record lunchtime meet and greet at the North Sydney offices on Friday.