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NBN CEO Bill Morrow stepping down

Bill Morrow will be leaving the role of NBN CEO by the end of 2018, the company has announced.
Written by Corinne Reichert, Contributor

The chief executive officer of the company rolling out Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) Bill Morrow has announced that he will be stepping down from his role by the end of the year.

"I believe that as the company prepares to confront the new challenges ahead, this is the right time to hand over the reins for the next phase of this incredible project and for me to plan for the next step in my career," Morrow said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

"At times, my role at NBN has been challenging, relentless, and, yes, sometimes frustrating, but never has there been a time that I wasn't proud to be a part of the NBN team," Morrow added in an email to NBN staff members.

"Given we still have nine more months together, I kindly ask for your ongoing support in three areas: 1) improving the customer experience for those touch points we control; 2) advancing the build of a high-quality network; and 3) finding ways to keep our costs down so we can keep our services affordable for everyone."

By the end of 2018, Morrow will have served as NBN CEO for almost five years, with NBN chair Dr Ziggy Switkowski saying Morrow has "built a resilient, performance-driven organisation which will build on his legacy".

According to NBN, it will conduct a "global search" for the next CEO, with the departure following widespread criticism of the project amid rising consumer complaints.

The announcement follows NBN in February announcing the departure of chief corporate affairs officer Karina Keisler, who has served with the company since mid-2014.

"Karina has led us through countless press briefings, Senate hearings, community engagements, and employee activities in arguably one of the hardest communications and government relations roles in the country," Morrow said at the time.

"While we are sorry to lose her, Karina leaves us with a strong team who will continue to report on our progress, clarify the facts, and help manage the reputation of the company."

NBN has yet to find a replacement, with Keisler staying until NBN's full-year financial results announcement in August.

Both Keisler and Morrow previously worked at Vodafone Australia before beginning their roles at NBN.

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