Telstra has recruited two former bosses of Nokia and Optus to help run the telecom and mobile operator's extensive operations and expand into the technology space.
Telstra - which only two days ago revealed it had abandoned its $US1 billion expansion plans into the Philippines - has hired former Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop to lead the group's strategy to become a major technology company.
Former Optus boss Kevin Russell has also been tapped to join Telstra to oversee its consumer, business and production operations as well as its 360-plus retail stores.
He will be Telstra's third retail boss in six months
Telstra chief executive Andrew Penn is keen to transform the company into a technology company, and is looking to Asia for new growth drivers as its local mobile stronghold comes under increasing pressure from rivals Optus and Vodafone Hutchison.
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Mr Penn said Mr Elop was a "significant appointment reinforcing Telstra's ambitions to be a world class technology company".
"Stephen will immediately add major firepower to our team with his extensive and deep technology experience and an innate sense of customer expectations," he added.
The 52 year old will step into the newly-created role of group executive technology, innovation and strategy.
Mr Elop has held global executive roles with Nokia, Microsoft, Juniper, Adobe and Macromedia, but it was his three years at Nokia that thrust him into the media spotlight.
Mr Elop headed Nokia between 2010 and 2013 as the mobile group struggled to stay relevant during the smartphone revolution.
During Mr Elop's tenure, Microsoft acquired Nokia's mobile and devices business, at which time he became executive vice president, devices and services pending deal completion.
Once the deal was wrapped up, he was appointed executive vice president of the Microsoft devices group and served in that role until July 2015.
Mr Elop will start in his new role on April 4.
Mr Russell - who currently heads the California-based startup Collinear Networks - will become Telstra's third retail boss in six months when he replaces Karsten Wildberger in late April.
Mr Wildberger became group executive for retail in October when Gordon Ballantyne quit, but announced his intention to step down in December.
Mr Elop and Mr Russell aren't on fixed-term contracts and their salaries weren't disclosed Wednesday, a Telstra spokeswoman said.
Neither men were available for interviews.
