REG - Telstra Corp. Ld - Telstra AGM - Candidate nominated and retirements

TelstraAnnouncement

31/08/2018 07:00

RNS Number : 3375Z
Telstra Corporation Ld
31 August 2018
 


 




 
31 August 2018
 
 
The Manager
RNS


 
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ELECTRONIC LODGEMENT
 
Dear Sir or Madam
Niek Jan van Damme nominated to join Telstra Board; Russell Higgins, Trae Vassallo and Steve Vamos to retire at Annual General Meeting
In accordance with the Listing Rules, I attach a copy of a market release, for immediate release to the market.
 
Yours faithfully
 
Sue Laver
Company Secretary
 
MARKET RELEASE
 
European telco executive Niek Jan van Damme nominated to join Telstra Board, Russell Higgins AO and Trae Vassallo to retire at Annual General Meeting
Friday 31 August 2018 - The Telstra Board today announced it would nominate experienced European telecommunications executive Niek Jan (Nicolaas John) van Damme for election as a non-executive Director at Telstra's Annual General meeting in October.
As previously announced, Telstra Director Steve Vamos intends to retire at the Annual General Meeting. Russell Higgins AO and Trae Vassallo have also announced their intention to retire at the Annual General Meeting on 16 October. Mr Higgins has completed three three-year terms, having joined the Board in 2009. Mr Higgins has been a member of the Audit & Risk Committee since 2009, and a member of the Remuneration Committee since 2016. Ms Vassallo joined the Board in 2015 and has completed one three-year term.
Telstra Chairman John Mullen said Mr Vamos, Mr Higgins and Ms Vassallo had each played a significant role in helping oversee the evolution of Telstra during a time of significant change in the telecommunications industry. Mr Mullen said that the Board would miss their contribution and wished them well in the future.
Most recently Mr van Damme was a member of the Deutsche Telekom Board of Management, where from 2009 to the end of 2017 he was responsible for fixed line and mobile communications in Germany for Deutsche Telekom, a €22 billion (Euro) business with more than 70,000 employees.
Mr Mullen said Mr van Damme was a strong candidate whose almost 20 years of direct telecommunications experience would be extremely beneficial for the Board.
"The Board, just like Telstra's senior management team, is undergoing renewal, and we are delighted that Niek Jan will join the Telstra Board and provide significant perspective from the European telecommunications market," Mr Mullen said.
"I am particularly pleased that the Board is able to nominate a candidate who is a former telecommunications executive who understands the complexities of the industry and current challenges we are facing.
"He has been successful both in a challenger mobile brand as well as running a much more complex incumbent in a highly-regulated and unionised environment.
"Niek Jan's skills will be enormously beneficial on the Board as we support management delivering Telstra's major transformation through the T22 strategy."
Mr van Damme started his career in marketing, focused on brand roles in a wide range of businesses, before moving into telecommunications in 1999, with Ben Nederland, later T-Mobile Netherlands, at that time the fifth largest telco in the Netherlands. From 2004 to 2009, Mr van Damme was Chairman of the Managing Board of T-Mobile where he oversaw the acquisition of Orange Netherlands by T-Mobile before moving to oversee Deutsche Telekom's German operations in 2009.
During his time at Deutsche Telekom Mr van Damme merged the mobile and fixed line business, a major transformation program, laying the foundation for making Deutsche Telekom the leading operator in converged services. He also led a major network modernisation program with the establishment of a new IP core, and 4G network investments. At the time he left, the German operation had returned to positive revenue and EBITDA growth following a period of decline.
Mr van Damme studied Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Mr van Damme will stand for election by shareholders at Telstra's Annual General Meeting on 16 October, and if elected, will join the Board from the end of the Annual General Meeting. Mr Vamos, Mr Higgins, and Ms Vassallo will remain directors until that time. Roy H Chestnutt will also be standing for election, and Margie Seale will be standing for re-election, each with the support of the remainder of the Board.
Following the Annual General Meeting, subject to the election of Mr van Damme and Mr Chestnutt and the re-election of Margie Seale, the Telstra Board will comprise nine Directors: Chairman John Mullen, CEO 

Andrew Penn and directors  Roy H  Chestnutt, Craig Dunn, Peter Hearl, Jane Hemstritch, Nora Scheinkestel, 

Margaret Seale, and Niek Jan Van Damme.
 
Media contact: Jon Court, +61 (0) 408 423 516
Email: media@team.telstra.com
Investor contact: Ross Moffat, +61 (0) 475 828 700
Email: investor.relations@team.telstra.com
Ref number: 117/2018
 
Note: A hi-res picture of Niek Jan van Damme will be available via media@team.telstra.com 
 




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