Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, the Chief Executive Officer of Australia’s second-largest telecommunications company, Optus, has resigned following a crippling network-wide outage that left nearly half the country without phone or internet services for a harrowing 12 hours.
The announcement was made by Optus’ parent company, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), on Monday, Reuters reported.
The outage, which affected more than 10 million Australians, sparked fury and frustration among customers and raised serious concerns about the stability of the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure.
In response to the crisis, Optus has appointed Chief Financial Officer Michael Venter as the interim CEO, while Peter Kaliaropoulos takes on the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, according to SingTel.
The 12-hour blackout wreaked havoc on critical systems, disrupting payment transactions, causing transportation chaos, and affecting health services. Hospitals struggled to receive phone calls, small businesses faced challenges with electronic payments, and transportation services, including train networks and ride-share platforms, came to a standstill in some cities.
SingTel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon acknowledged the urgent need for Optus to regain customer trust and confidence.
In a statement, Moon said, “We recognize the need for Optus to regain customer trust and confidence as the team works through the impact and consequences of the recent outage and continues to improve.”
The incident has drawn the attention of government authorities and regulatory bodies, leading to widespread calls for a comprehensive review of the telecommunications industry’s infrastructure and safeguards.
The federal government has initiated an investigation into the outage, with Communications Minister Michelle Rowland confirming that her department will lead the probe.
The recent network failure is another blow to Optus’s reputation, coming on the heels of a major cyber breach reported over a year ago. As the nation grapples with the fallout from the outage, the appointment of new leadership and the ongoing investigation will be closely watched as Optus endeavors to rebuild its standing and address the concerns of a disgruntled customer base.
