Former Three CEO Kevin Russell has been appointed chief operating officer of Australian operator Optus, taking charge of SME division amongst others Australian operator Optus has appointed former Three UK CEO Kevin Russell (pictured) as its chief operating officer with immediate effect.
Scottish-born Russell makes his return to Australia where he spent three years as CEO of Three Australia overseeing the operator’s 3G roll-out, the first of its kind in the country.
He has also previously been the chief financial officer at Partner Communications in Israel and director of finance for Hutchinson International.
In his newly created role, Russell will oversee the day-to-day operations of the mass-market segments of Optus’s business as well as the operator’s consumer, SME, wholesale and satellite businesses and Optus-owned Virgin Mobile.
He will report to Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan and be based at Optus’s Sydney headquarters.
“I’m returning to Australia at a very exciting time in the telecoms industry with the roll-out of 4G and the National Broadband Network both gathering pace,” Russell said.
“I’m looking forward to working with Paul and the Optus team to take full advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.”
O’Sullivan commented: “Kevin’s experience and this appointment will strengthen our ability to take full advantage of the opportunities emerging in our market. His track record in the industry speaks for itself and I am delighted to welcome him to the Optus team.”
