Outgoing SBS Chief Michael Ebeid Joins Telstra, As Joe Pollard Departs
Telstra has announced a new top-line organisational structure and leadership team, with some big industry names both joining and departing.
SBS chief executive Michael Ebeid (pictured above) has come on board to run Telstra’s enterprise team, and will commence his new role on 8 October.
Meanwhile, CMO and group executive of media Joe Pollard will leave Telstra at the end of August. The company’s head of innovation, Stephen Elop, corporate counsel Will Irving and chief financial officer Warwick Bray are also heading for the exits.
Telstra’s new-look management structure is as follows:
CEO Andrew Penn said the changes, effective from 1 October, were an important step in the company delivering its Telstra 2022 (T22) strategy.
“Last month, I announced the T22 strategy to the market and today I am making further announcements on Telstra’s structure and leadership to ensure we deliver rapidly and effectively on all of the commitments we made to our customers, the market and our team,” he said.
“At the heart of these changes is the simplification of our products and services built on new technology. By mid-next year, we will have fully rolled out our market leading products and services.
“To help deliver these changes, we are announcing a new end-to-end products and technology division of Telstra. It means we will significantly increase our technical capabilities around product development and management.
“The changes I am announcing today will ensure we continue to deliver market-leading innovation in networks and support the build out of 5G and Internet of Things.
“Ultimately, the simplified and streamlined structure will remove duplication, hierarchy and silos across the organisation.
“It will help us improve the service that we provide to our customers, the efficiency of the business and our competitiveness, as well as increase our productivity and reduce costs.”
Penn said Telstra will announce a new head of product and technology shortly, and thanked Pollard, Elop, Irving and Bray for their efforts.
“I would like to recognise the significant contributions Warwick, Will, Stephen and Joe have made to Telstra and thank them for their dedication to Telstra collectively over the years,” he said.
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