Kate McKenzie, Chief Operations Officer and who has led three business units for Telstra during the past nine years is leaving the company. McKenzie who has been Telstra Chief Operations Officer since 2013, responsible for Telstra’s field services, IT and network architecture and operations, will be retiring in a few weeks.
Group Executive Global Enterprise and Services, Brendon Riley, will be interim Chief Operations Officer with immediate effect while a permanent replacement is found. 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 Riley’s role.
McKenzie who joined Telstra in 2004 as head of Telstra's regulatory group was Group Managing Director, Telstra Innovation, Products and Marketing from 2010 to 2013. She was leading major product units in this role including Mobiles, Fixed Voice and Broadband, Network Applications and Services, Data and IP, National Broadband Network team and Chief Technology Office. 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.
Kate McKenzie, Outgoing COO, Telstra
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.
Andy Penn, CEO Telstra
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.
