Vodafone Hutchison Australia’s chief technology officer, Benoit Hanssen, will next month leave the telco — for a role at the Hutchison group, which through Hutchison Telecommunications Australia is part owner of VHA.
Hanssen has been at VHA since 2013. Prior to his role as CTO at the telco he led Ericsson’s managed services operation from Stockholm. He is also a former CTO at Hutchison Indonesia.
VHA CEO Inaki Berroeta paid tribute to Hanssen for his role in overseeing the transformation of the telco’s network, including the roll out of its new Ericsson-designed core network.
Berroeta said that Hanssen had been a driving force behind the company’s successful participation in the government’s mobile blackspot program. Seventy Vodafone base stations were part funded by the first round of the program.
“Under Benoit’s leadership, VHA’s network has improved significantly, with the 4G network now reaching more than 22 million Australians,” Berroeta said.
The performance of Vodafone’s network was once the cause of a mass customer exodus.
“On the back of this improvement, the VHA customer base has returned to growth and we have set new benchmarks in the area of customer complaints with VHA achieving the lowest ratio of complaints amongst the major carriers for the past three quarters,” the VHA CEO said.
“I’m really proud of the VHA network, and all that the team has achieved over the past three years. It’s been a privilege to play a part in the transformation of the network, which is now a network our customers love and trust,” Hanssen said.
“The VHA network is the best it has ever been – it’s fast and reliable, and I’m confident it will continue to get even better.”
VHA said that while a search for Hanssen’s successor is underway the company’s general manager, access network delivery, Kevin Millroy, will act as CTO.
Hutchison has been approached for comment.
Hanssen's impending departure is the second major telco executive movement this week, with Telstra's chief operations officer, Kate McKenzie, leaving the company after 12 years.