The government has reappointed Dr Ziggy Switkowski as chair of NBN’s board.
Then communications minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2013 tapped the former Telstra and Optus CEO to lead NBN’s board as part of a shakeup of management at the government-owned company shortly after the Coalition's electoral victory that year.
Switkowski in last 2013 oversaw the hiring of Bill Morrow as NBN’s CEO (the former Vodafone chief executive began his tenure in April 2014).
The NBN chair was embroiled in controversy during the election when he penned an op-ed justifying NBN’s decision to refer the leaking of internal documents to the Australian Federal Police.
Those leaks led to AFP raids on Labor Senator Stephen Conroy’s electorate office. Switkowski article breached the caretaker conventions according to the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
“Dr Switkowski, one of Australia’s most distinguished telecommunications executives, has done an outstanding job as Chair of the nbn Board,” said a joint statement from communications minister Senator Mitch Fifield and finance minister Senator Mathias Cormann.
“Shareholder Ministers congratulate Dr Switkowski on his reappointment and look forward to his continued leadership of the nbn Board as it guides the project to completion by 2020,” the statement said.
Switkowski reappointment commences 3 October.