Telstra: another CEO, another shake-up

Stuart Corner
Monday, 30 November 2009 06:11

IT Industry - Strategy

Telstra CEO David Thodey has moved to stamp his mark on the organisation with the creation of new product and customer service units and a new international division.


The changes leave the existing customer focussed units, including wholesale, essentially unchanged but create an enlarged network and technology unit with responsibility for IT, two new product units for fixed and mobile "to enable Telstra to compete effectively in fixed and mobile markets," and a customer services unit.

The fixed and mobile product will be headed, respectively by Justin Milne, presently GMD Telstra Media - who will retain that responsibility - and by Philip Jones. A new international unit has also been created.

Product responsibility had previously been held by Holly Kramer as group managing director, Telstra Product Management. She has decided to leave Telstra to pursue other opportunities. Jones had previously reported to Kramer A spokesman told iTWire that the key difference between the new product units and Kramer's was that the new units would put some profit and loss visibility around individual products.

The new International unit will be headed by Tarek Robbiati, presently CEO of Telstra's Hong Kong mobile operator CSL. Thodey said this would "bring together all of Telstra's Asian assets and expertise into one dedicated unit for the first time." It will take geographic and operational responsibility for CSL, Reach, Telstra's businesses in China and international sales and business development.

The current Telstra International unit - which is primarily focussed on the international communications needs of multinational businesses - is presently headed by Drew Kelton who reports to the GMD of Enterprise and Government. Under the new structure he will report to Robbiati.

CONTINUED