commentary Telstra is reportedly looking for a new chief executive,
with current commander-in-chief Sol Trujillo said to be on the way
out after almost four years at the top.
With this in mind and a grain of salt, we've put together a list of candidates least likely to replace Trujillo,
and why they nevertheless would be great for the role.
Dr Claw
(Credit: DIC Entertainment)
Current occupation: Leader of MAD on the Inspector
Gadget TV show
Why he would be great at Telstra: Dr Claw constantly
mistakes the lovably bumbling Inspector Gadget as his real nemesis,
when it's actually Gadget's sidekicks like his niece Penny and her
dog Brain who do all the work. This reminds us of how Telstra
sometimes appears to believe that the government is its number one enemy.
Stephen Conroy
(Credit: DBCDE)
Current occupation: Federal Communications
Minister
Why he would be great at Telstra: In his current role,
Conroy has demonstrated a knack for setting up labyrinthine
initiatives that nobody, including the government itself, really
seems to want (for example, the internet filter project). In addition, critics say his proposed National Broadband
Network has the potential to roll back competition in the
telecommunications industry by 20 years. Clearly, he should be
working at Telstra.
Current occupation: Captain of Australia's
national cricket team
Why he would be great at Telstra: Ponting has
appeared able to completely misuse the resources at his disposal
and take a formerly great team down into the chasing pack, thus
reinvigoration competition in his industry: not unlike Sol
Trujillo's move to isolate Telstra from the National Broadband
Network process.
Although Ponting has been able to destroy his own
team on the one hand, he has also been able to surpass personal
milestones on the other hand, making his sacking appear
counter-productive to selectors (in Telstra's case, the
board).
Baz Luhrmann
(Credit: Kate O'Shea/TV.com)
Current occupation: Film director
Why he
would be great at Telstra: As a director, Luhrmann has demonstrated
a commitment to overspending, under-delivering and keeping
"Australia" in the past.
It's possible, with his passion for love stories, that Luhrmann could engineer a Moulin Rouge-style engagement of Deena Shiff's small business unit and David Thodey's enterprise and government division. There's got to be synergies there somewhere.
Mario
(Credit: Nintendo)
Current occupation: Plumber, Nintendo mascot
Why he
would be great at Telstra: Mario's physical resemblance to Sol
Trujillo is uncanny, and his appointment contains the potential to
merge the CEO and chief operating officer roles; Trujillo often
referred to former Telstra COO Greg Winn as the company's "chief
plumber".
Mario's skills at jumping on people's heads could also
come in useful, and who knows? Mario's working class origins could help Telstra placate those testy unions.
Current occupation: TV host and former Nine
Network CEO
Why he would be great at Telstra: In the Telstra
hot-seat McGuire would be able to continue a tradition of "boning"
troublesome underlings and making only a very select few
millionaires.
We'd also like to see McGuire bring his signature Footy Show style (and Sam Newman) to Telstra board meetings, at which all those mysterious decisions are made. Perhaps some Collingwood paraphernalia draped on the plush chairs and a few cameramen to broadcast the intimate details via BigPond Movies.
Current occupation: Former President of the
United States
Why he would be great at Telstra: Bush would be able
to label rival broadband consortium Terria the new "axis of
evil". Like Trujillo, Bush sometimes finds it hard to make himself
understood in plain English, as anyone who has sat through an
11-hour Telstra briefing can attest. Any survivors from Bush's
attacks on Optus and others will be placed in a broadband blackspot
outside Australian soil.
Sydney Lawrence
(Credit: Telstra)
Current occupation: Retiree
Why he would
be great at Telstra: In his frequent talkback postings on
ZDNet.com.au, Lawrence has demonstrated his even-handed approach
and strong understanding of both Telstra and Australia's
telecommunications industry. Lawrence began his campaign to replace
Trujillo in mid-2006, when he outlined his agenda if he were
appointed on the Telstra site Now We Are Talking. "I'd ensure
that all services to customers were of a high level," he
wrote. He's got our vote.
Gordon Freeman
(Credit: Valve)
Current occupation: Theoretical physicist
Why he would be great at Telstra: Equipped with his Hazardous
Environment Suit, Freeman would easily be able to deal with all the
flak thrown his way as Telstra CEO. He was educated at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and clearly has the
scientific and technical nous to pull the job off, let alone deal
with unexpected situations. And for when things really go haywire,
there's always the crowbar...
Current occupation: Lead singer of rock band Powderfinger
Why he would be great at Telstra: Who better to heal the rifts between Telstra, the government and the rest of the telecommunications industry than one of Australia's favourite sons? Fanning would move the company's head office to Brisbane and like Trujillo, become a true "Internationalist" by spending a large chunk of his time overseas.
What worthy candidate is least likely to succeed Sol Trujillo and why? Post your comments below.