Optus CEO resigns amid fallout over network-wide outage; former StarHub chief to join as COO

OPTUS chief executive officer (CEO) Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has tendered her resignation, parent company Singtel said on Monday (Nov 20), weeks after a network-wide outage left over 10 million customers without phone or Internet services for 12 hours.

The move came after she fronted a Senate inquiry on Friday morning, where she expanded on the cause of the network outage and how Australia’s second-largest telco recovered and responded, along with the telco’s commitment to restore consumer trust.

“Having now had time for some personal reflection, I have come to the decision that my resignation is in the best interest of Optus moving forward,” she said.

Optus has appointed chief financial officer (CFO) Michael Venter to assume the role of interim CEO as it starts its global search for a new chief. Venter joined Optus as CFO in 2021 and has 25 years of business experience in Australia and Asia, Singtel said.

The Australian telco will also appoint former StarHub CEO Peter Kaliaropoulos as chief operating officer – a newly created position. Kaliaropoulos, who was previously Optus’ business managing director, will rejoin the company on Nov 22 and report to Venter.

During her tenure, Bayer Rosmarin delivered improved financial performance, market share gains, innovation and higher employee engagement, Singtel said.

Singtel group chief executive Yuen Kuan Moon said: “Optus appointed Kelly at the beginning of the pandemic, and we acknowledge her leadership, commitment and hard work throughout what has been a challenging period and thank her for her dedication and service to Optus.”

Prior to joining Singtel in March 2019, Bayer Rosmarin was group executive of institutional banking and markets at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Yuen said Optus is an integral part of Singtel’s business and that it views the events in recent weeks “very seriously”.

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“We fully recognise the importance of Optus’ role in providing connectivity services to the community and the importance of network resiliency and security. That is a top priority in all markets where our companies operate in. I have every confidence our Optus team will exert all efforts to deliver for customers and regain their trust and confidence,” he added.