New NBN Co CEO !? | Dirt Report

A change at the top of NBN Co

NBN Co has appointed Ellie Sweeney as its new chief executive officer. She takes over after leading Vocus, where she served as CEO and previously spent four years as chief operating officer.

The appointment comes as NBN Co continues building, operating and upgrading the National Broadband Network. The company described the role as important to improving Australia’s digital capabilities through network investment and supporting homes, businesses, customers and partners.

Sweeney’s telecommunications background

Before joining Vocus, Sweeney spent 11 years at Telstra. Her roles included leadership of enterprise services, global sales and solution sales, along with earlier positions in contact centre operations and customer services.

At Vocus, she led the company through a significant investment period, including a reported $1 billion, five year program to enhance and expand its fibre infrastructure. Projects associated with her tenure included Project Horizon, a 2,000 kilometre fibre connection in Australian mining regions, and the acquisition of Challenger Networks to strengthen private mobile network capabilities.

This background gives Sweeney experience across telecommunications operations, enterprise services, infrastructure investment and customer-facing functions. NBN Co’s board cited her strategic leadership, experience driving innovation, interest in digital inclusion and alignment with the organisation’s goal of connecting Australia.

Leadership priorities and cybersecurity

According to material discussed in the report, Sweeney’s leadership approach places emphasis on action, innovation and market differentiation. She has also spoken about building a workplace that values environmental, social and governance standards, work health and safety, inclusion and support for women, including addressing the gender pay gap.

Sweeney has described her vision as using expanded and improved digital infrastructure and technology to create meaningful change and help all Australians participate in the digital economy. Customer experience and digital inclusion were also identified as important parts of her leadership approach.

Cybersecurity is another relevant part of her background. In an Australian Financial Review interview following her appointment as Vocus chief executive, Sweeney said she intended to maintain a healthy paranoia about cybersecurity risks. The report linked that focus to major data breaches affecting Optus and Medibank. Cybersecurity remains relevant across telecommunications networks, providers and customer services.

What the appointment could mean for NBN Co

Sweeney’s appointment places a telecommunications executive with experience in fibre investment and challenger-market strategy at the head of NBN Co. The company is continuing its network upgrade and investment program, while the communications minister said the organisation needed to maximise the benefits of the NBN for all Australians.

The supplied material does not specify Sweeney’s detailed operating plan, changes to NBN pricing or particular network projects under her leadership. Her impact will therefore depend on how she applies her previous experience to NBN Co’s public infrastructure role, customer relationships and long-term investment responsibilities.