Kate McKenzie to retire from Telstra

25 July 2016

Kate McKenzie to retire from Telstra

Telstra today announced that Chief Operations Officer, Kate McKenzie, would retire from Telstra after 12 years with the organisation.

Ms McKenzie, one of Australia’s most respected corporate and government sector executives, has led three business units for Telstra during the past nine years.

Ms McKenzie has been Telstra Chief Operations Officer since 2013, responsible for Telstra’s field services, IT and network architecture and operations. She has been part of Telstra’s CEO leadership team since 2007.

“It has been a wonderful 12 years with Telstra and I am very proud of all the people I have worked with and what we have achieved together. The time is right for me to change direction in my career. I leave knowing that Telstra, under Andy Penn’s leadership, has a great strategy for the future and wish the company, its people and its shareholders every success,” Ms McKenzie said.

Telstra Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Penn, thanked Ms McKenzie for her significant service across a range of portfolios and responsibilities.

“Kate has been a positive force for Telstra, supporting four Chief Executive Officers and working to build our technology and innovation capability. She has been a significant contributor to our customer-focused culture and a role model for women in the organisation. I have appreciated her support and counsel,” Mr Penn said.

Ms McKenzie was Group Managing Director, Telstra Innovation, Products and Marketing from 2010 to 2013 leading major product units including Mobiles, Fixed Voice and Broadband, Network Applications and Services, Data and IP, National Broadband Network team and Chief Technology Office.

Ms McKenzie joined Telstra in 2004 as head of Telstra's regulatory group. She was promoted within a year to Deputy Group Managing Director for Public Policy and Communications. She later served as Group Managing Director of Strategic Marketing and Group Managing Director of Telstra Wholesale.

Before Telstra, Ms McKenzie was Director-General of the Department of Commerce in New South Wales and held senior executive roles in government departments and offices. She is a Director of FOXTEL and Allianz Australia and a former Director of Sydney Water and the Rail Corporation of New South Wales.

Ms McKenzie will leave Telstra in the coming weeks. Group Executive Global Enterprise and Services, Brendon Riley, will be interim Chief Operations Officer with immediate effect while a permanent replacement is found. Mr Riley was Telstra COO from 2011 to 2013 and is a former IBM global executive. Telstra’s Group Managing Director for Network Applications and Services, David Burns, will act in Mr Riley’s role.