Search for NBN Chief Is On

Now that Mike Quigley has announced his retirement as NBN head, NBN Co. is now on a hunt for a new chief executive.

Last Friday, Quigley said he is retiring from his position and believes this is the right time for a new leadership. Quigley has been running the show for four years. He added that he stayed in the company longer than he expected and that it is the right time to move on.

Quigley was retired when he was asked to head NBN in 2009. Now that he has finished what he has set out to do, he said the new leader should have a different skills set. He added that the focus of the business now is to connect Australian homes with fibre cables and to minimize delays.

Quigley also said that his replacement should know how to build a company and run it. A telco background would be helpful but not necessarily required.

Quigley is stepping down amidst controversies and scrutiny. Pundits are saying that NBN is delayed in implementing its original corporate plan. Malcolm Turnbull, the opposition spokesman, has also been vocal in questioning NBN’s sustainability.

David Kennedy, an analyst from Ovum, echoes the same criticism, saying that the new chief should review troubled contracts.