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Thodey was asked by Inside Business host, Alan Kohler: "To what extent does the culture of the company have to change? It's been an engineering company to some extent, network owner, how will you change the culture and to what?"
Thodey replied: "I think you're right. I mean it's a great engineering culture, it's been a great strength for many many years, but we've got to become a sales and marketing led company. Customers at the centre of everything we do. So, yeah, we've got a big cultural change coming through. I think we've started and even this year we have a lot of focus on improving customer service.
"Even when I first came into the job I said I would be the advocate for the customer. I've tried to be and I think the company is moving, but it takes time because we've got to simplify the business, we've got to re-orientate it to the customers, we've got to find ways to delight customers and that's what we're going to focus on.
"But I don't underestimate this, it'll probably take another three, four, five years, but it's another stage for the company and that's what is so exciting and gets me out of bed every morning."
I wish it had been I and not Kohler interviewing Thodey. I'd have responded with: "I've heard that message from every Telstra CEO for the best part of 20 years, and you're telling me the journey has just begun. Are you really telling me they all failed? And if so why should we expect you to succeed this time?
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