Situations vacant for top telco executives

After a CEO? You’re not alone; InternetNZ is the latest non-profit telco organisation to be looking for a Chief Executive.

The job advertisement in the Weekend Herald touts the role as an “outstanding strategic leadership opportunity for a highly skilled Chief Executive/General Manager who is passionate about the future of the Internet to all New Zealanders.”

InternetNZ operates the .nz domain name system. This funds activities that include the Policy and Advocacy Office and Shared Services Unit, which the new CEO will lead. Richard Curry is currently Acting CEO.

InternetNZ president Frank March says in the November edition of Telecommunications Review (published on Monday) that the CEO position replaces the Executive Director role which was previously held by Keith Davidson. Davidson resigned earlier this year and has since returned to InternetNZ in a contract-based role to liaise with global Internet groups.

March says the organisation is now divided into three parts overseen by InternetNZ, which is governed by an elected Council. There is the domain name commission, the .nz registry and the policy/advocacy division. Each has its own CEO (or in the case of the domain name area, a Commissioner) who report to a separate board.

“He (policy/advocacy CEO) is the sole report to the council, the others report to their own boards and the Chairs of those boards report to Council. It’s quite a distinction, they are separate entities and the relationship between InternetNZ group and those organisations (domain commission and registry) is as a shareholder.”

Meanwhile the CEO of Crown Fibre Holdings – the company charged with overseeing the government’s ultra-fast broadband network – is expected to be announced soon. According to documents released last month, the CFH is to be “operationally functional” by late October 2009. In addition to a CEO, initial appointments will included a CFH Board of five to seven directors with relevant commercial and technical expertise. Announcements about CFH are likely to be made by ICT Minister Steven Joyce. He is currently in the Cook Islands attending the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers' Meeting and is due back in the country tomorrow.