- Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigns following a nationwide 12-hour outage affecting over 10 million Australians
- CFO Michael Venter steps in as interim CEO, with Peter Kaliaropoulos appointed as Chief Operating Officer
- Optus parent company, Singtel, recognises the need to rebuild customer trust and emphasises a path of renewal
The now former CEO of Optus Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has resigned in the aftermath of a recent 12-hour nationwide outage that left over 10 million Australians without phone or internet services.
The outage sparked concerns about the resilience of Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure.
“It’s been an honour and privilege to lead the team at Optus and to serve our customers,” Rosmarin said.
“I am proud of the team’s many achievements, and grateful for the support of the Optus team … I wish everyone and the company every success in the future.”
Singtel confirms departure
Singtel, which owns Optus, lent comment from its executive panel.
“Kelly has always led with integrity and had all stakeholders’ best interests at heart,” Singtel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said.
Optus has appointed Chief Financial Officer Michael Venter as the interim CEO. He joined Optus in 2021.
ASIC cyber warnings loom
Additionally, Peter Kaliaropoulos, former Optus Business Managing Director, will assume the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer effective from November 22, 2023.
The company aims to navigate through the reputational hit, improve service reliability, and regain customer confidence under the interim leadership of Mr. Venter.
As Optus begins its search for a new CEO, ASIC’s increasing warnings about company cybersecurity continue to ring true.