After a period of silence, the Maxis Board of Directors has appointed Robert Nason as its Executive Director and interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO). His role will come to effect from 1 April 2018, and he will remain in his role until a new CEO is officially appointed.
According to Maxis, Nason was appointed to the Maxis Board in 2016 as its Independent Director. He is also the Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Business & IT Transformation Committee.
With his new role, Nason will relinquish his position as Chairman and Member of the Audit Committee. He will also step down as Chairman of the Business & IT Transformation Committee although he will continue to be a member. These changes take effect today, 2 March 2018.
Nason spent five and a half years at Telstra Corporation before he retired in 2015. He led a major transformation of its operations, where he was involved in regular, active participation on the company’s Business Unit Review Committee, Strategy Committee, M&A Committee, Capital Investment Management Committee, Growth Committee, Customer Advocacy Committee and Risk Committee.
He was also the Chairman and Director of Foxtel Pty. Ltd from 2012 until February 2017, as well as Director for various companies and Boards in Australia and elsewhere from 2003 to 2010.
Nason has lived and worked in the US and UK, and has extensive experience in transformation projects for many companies in Asia, Europe, North and South America.
He holds a Bachelor of Business (Honours) – Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and is a fellow of CPA Australia, as well as a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Nason will be filling the shoes of Morten Lundal who will be leaving the company upon the expiry of his contract on 31 March 2018. Lundal first took the helm at Maxis in 2014.
Lundal transformed Maxis both internally and externally – flattening its managerial structure and instilling an open, collaborative culture.
He made customer experience an integral part of how Maxis operates as an organisation.
And while competitors waged an unhealthy price war amongst themselves, he made sure Maxis focused on what matters – the network.
In the industry, Maxis is a big spender in terms of network infrastructure. Since offering 4G LTE in 2013, is has since spent MYR1 billion each year to enhance its network and fibre infrastructure. And the strategy has paid off for the green telco.
Its 4G LTE network is the fastest and widest in the country with 92 percent population coverage.
Its financial performance is healthy, with its recent 2017 results showing higher revenue, highest profit after tax in four years and highest EBITDA in five years. This is in retrospect, performance in a declining market.
Maxis will announce a new CEO in due time.
