Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian Considered for Optus CEO Role Amidst Controversy

Former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is among the names being considered as the new Optus CEO following the resignation of Kelly Bayer Rosmarin. Berejiklian, who was appointed to manage Optus' business customers earlier this year, is facing controversy due to her involvement in significant corrupt conduct uncovered during an inquiry by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Despite the findings, the ICAC did not recommend criminal charges against Berejiklian. This development raises concerns about her candidacy for the top role at Optus.

Rosmarin's resignation comes amidst a challenging period for Optus, including a cyber attack and a nationwide outage that affected millions of Australians. The outgoing CEO stated that it was an appropriate time to step down, highlighting her commitment to restoring trust and serving customers. In the interim, chief financial officer Michael Venter will take on the role of CEO until a permanent replacement is found.

Besides Berejiklian, other potential candidates being considered for the Optus CEO role include Pip Marlow, the outgoing chief executive of Salesforce's Australian and ASEAN operations, and former NBN chief executive Bill Morrow. Another possibility is transferring an executive from Optus' parent company, Singtel, as has been done previously.

The recent outage and Optus' response have drawn criticism, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling it a regrettable incident. The government is working on an analysis to learn from the outage and communicate lessons to the public and private sectors. The Senate inquiry into the outage will continue exploring solutions and potentially stronger regulations for telecommunications companies.

With Optus facing these challenges, the selection of the next CEO is crucial in restoring trust and ensuring the delivery of essential services to millions of Australians. The appointment will be closely watched as Optus moves forward to address the aftermath of the recent events.