Former Telstra business consumer chief and former Optus CEO Kevin Russell, pictured, is the new CEO at No. 4 telco Vocus, replacing Geoff Horth, who was shown the door in February.
At Vocus he is expected to concentrate on a renewed push into the consumer business by budget broadband brands Dodo and iPrimus, as well as pushing use of Vocus’s huge fibre assets, including the 21,000km internal network as well as the soon-to-be-completed Australia-Singapore under-sea cable.
Vocus chairman Bob Mansfield said Russell’s track record in the industry made him the perfect candidate to lead Vocus through a period of structural change. “Kevin is a highly experienced and respected CEO. He has an excellent mix of skills and the demonstrated strategic ability to improve business performance,” he said.
Michael Simmons, who has been acting as interim group CEO since Horth’s departure, will return to his role as CEO of enterprise and wholesale.
Russell and Mark Callander, the newly appointed Vocus NZ CEO, will both join the Vocus board from next Monday, May 28.
