Telstra Names Insider As New CEO - Chairman Resigns

Australia's Telstra has announced that its Group Managing Director of Enterprise and Government, David Thodey is to take over the helm of the company once current CEO Sol Trujillo leaves at the end of June. At the same time, it has been announced that the company Chairman, Donald McGauchie has resigned with immediate effect and is to be replaced by Catherine Livingstone, a board member since 2000.

Mr Thodey, 54, has been a senior executive at Telstra for eight years. He joined Telstra from IBM where he was CEO of IBM's Australian and New Zealand operations. In his current position, he has been responsible for Telstra's corporate, government and large business customers in Australia, TelstraClear in New Zealand and Telstra's international sales division.

With the CEO selection process completed, Mr McGauchie resigned as Telstra Chairman and will leave the board immediately.

It was also announced that Peter Willcox had tendered his resignation to the board following a recent court judgement that found he (and others) had broken the Corporations Act, relating to the establishment of an asbestos victims compensation fund in 2001 for a different company. However, the board has asked him to remain as a director until the AGM in November.

Posted to the site on 8th May 2009