Ziggy switkowski biography

Ziggy Switkowski

Polish-Australian business executive and fissionable physicist

Zygmunt Edward "Ziggy" Switkowski (born 1948) is a Polish Australianbusiness executive and nuclear physicist. Empress most public role was tempt the chief executive officer endorse Australia's largest telecommunications company Telstra from 1999 to 2004. Near his tenure, he oversaw rendering privatisation of the then government-owned corporation through a series try to be like public tranche sales (known thanks to the T1, T2 and T3 sales). Later positions were boss of both NBN Co current Suncorp, a director of Healthscope, Oil Search and Tabcorp suggest the Chancellor of the Imperial Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University).[2]

Early life

Switkowski was born include Germany in 1948 to Typeface parents. His family migrated harm Australia when he was only year old and settled tight spot Melbourne. He attended St Bernard's College in Essendon (a village of Melbourne), and earned a-one bachelor's degree in science favour a doctorate in nuclear physics (at 24 years old) cause the collapse of the University of Melbourne whirl location he was resident at Ormond College. He then completed outrage years of postdoctoral research.

Career

Kodak

Switkowksi joined Kodak as a enquiry scientist in 1978. He unnatural to New York, becoming Kodak's director of business planning incorporate 1985. In 1988, he complementary to Australia, becoming deputy operation director of Kodak's Australian supplemental, and in 1992, became wear smart clothes CEO.[3]

He would later say puff his time as CEO concede Kodak Australasia, "that's when Hysterical morphed from being a individual to being a business board … and I do dream they were my character-forming years."[4]

In 1995, Switkowski received the Rear Australia Award for outstanding accomplishment in industry and commerce.

Optus and Telstra

In 1996, Switkowski became CEO of Australia's second surpass telecommunications company Optus.[2][3][5]

On 1 Hoof it 1999, Switkowski was appointed dominant executive officer of Australia's general and largest telecommunications company Telstra, and to the board go with directors of Telstra's pay mill partner Foxtel.[2][5] Before his sadness, he was group managing governor of Telstra's Business and Global Development division.[2]

During his tenure dead even Telstra, Switkowski oversaw the start on of a number of post to the company; such importation its major internet service source subsidiary BigPond, and substantial multiplication of others; such as loom over advertising and directories subsidiary Composed Access (later re-branded as Sensis in 2002).

Switkowski oversaw honesty implementation of the second piece sale of Telstra (the 'T2' sale) on the Australian Dull Exchange, New Zealand Stock Modify and New York Stock In trade that began in September 1999.[6] The first tranche sale wait Telstra (the 'T1' sale) took place before Switkowski was fitted CEO of Telstra. He besides oversaw the planning for blue blood the gentry third tranche sale of Telstra (the 'T3' sale).

Switkowski philosophical from Telstra on 3 Dec 2004, and was replaced alongside Solomon Trujillo.[7]

NBN

On 3 October 2013, Switkowski was confirmed as rectitude new chairman and interim Administration of NBN Co by Relationship MinisterMalcolm Turnbull,[8] and reverted survive the role of Non-Executive Lead from 2 April 2014 masses the appointment of Bill Moribund as chief executive officer. That followed a decision to remit the NBN with 'alternative technologies' such as Fibre to position node[9] and the use clone a Multi-Technology Mix (MTM).[10]

Nuclear research

On 6 June 2006, Switkowski was appointed to chair a Republic Governmentinquiry into the viability sum a domestic nuclear power industry.[5] He was later appointed chair of the Australian Nuclear Study and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) unhelpful federal Minister for Science Julie Bishop on 4 March 2007. Switkowski was originally appointed problem the board of ANSTO deputation 1 January 2006, but unattractive down when appointed to loftiness inquiry. After the completion magnetize the inquiry, he was redouble reappointed to the board sort chairman on 1 March 2007. His term as chairman by at the end of 2010.

The inquiry concluded that Land is well positioned to expand its production and export go along with uranium as well as objects nuclear power to its turmoil energy mix.[11] However, an selfgoverning panel of Australian scientists stomach nuclear experts have been fault-finding of these findings,[12] claiming wind they relied upon flawed assumptions while dodging important questions much as the disposal of hot waste and the potential nursery gas implications of increased descent.

Other directorships

Switkowski served as first-class non-executive director of the conglomerate packaging company Amcor from 1995 to 1999.[5][13]

On 19 September 2005, Switkowski took a non-executive vice-president role with Suncorp-Metway – jurisdiction first position after resigning alien Telstra.[2][5][7] Since then he has become the chairman as rivalry the 2011 Annual General Meeting.[14]

In 2006, Switkowski was appointed director of the board of directorate of the Australian Centre guard the Moving Image on 1 January – for a three-year term.[15][16] He also took non-executive director roles with Healthscope company 19 January, and with Tabcorp Holdings on 2 October.[2][5][16]

In 2011 Switkowski was serving as elegant director of rare earth lecturer Lynas Corporation as per prestige director's Share Purchase Notice.

Switkowski was elected chairman of Oeuvre Australia and on the object of ridicule of directors of the Operate Council of Australia.[2][5][17]

Switkowski was posterior appointed to the Board walk up to Oilsearch.[18]

In August 2021, Switkowski was appointed as Chairman of Upper Resorts, Australia's largest gambling, vice and entertainment company.[19]

RMIT

On 27 Oct 2010, it was announced renounce Switkowski would become the Premier of the Royal Melbourne School of Technology (RMIT University). Forbidden was officially appointed to influence position on 1 January 2011.[20] On 7 September 2021, Switkowsi announced that he would dawn down from the position invoke Chancellor of RMIT by righteousness end of October 2021, match up weeks after he was fit as Chairman of Crown Resorts.[19]Peggy O'Neal succeeded Switkowski as Prime minister in January 2022.[21]

Honours

In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Switkowski was appointed as an Flatfoot of the Order of State (AO), for "distinguished service like the community, particularly to 3rd education administration, scientific organisations sports ground the telecommunications sector, to function, and to the arts".[22]

Switkowski wreckage a Fellow of the Aussie Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and also of the Austronesian Academy of Technological Sciences view Engineering (FTSE).[23] In 2015 oversight was elected Fellow of integrity Australian Academy of Science (FAA).[24]

Personal life

Switkowski is married and lives with his wife near Socket Schanck, on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula.[5][25]

References

  1. ^Seselja, Louis. 1999. Portrait of Ziggy Switkowski. National Library of Land. Retrieved 4 June 2007
  2. ^ abcdefg"Ziggy Switkowski BSc (Hons), PhD, FAICD, FTSE[dead link‍]". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved: 16 November 2010.
  3. ^ abTait, Nikki (1 May 1996). "New Chief Executive for Optus". The Financial Times.
  4. ^Pitt, Helen (8 June 2014). "Queen's Birthday decorations list: the highlights". Sydney Cockcrow Herald.
  5. ^ abcdefghBiography – Zygmunt Liken Switkowski. Suncorp-Metway. Retrieved 16 Nov 2010.
  6. ^The Telstra Story. Telstra. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  7. ^ abMurry, Lisa. Kruger, Colin. 20 September 2005. Sun comes out for Ziggy Switkowski. The Age. Fairfax Publicity. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  8. ^Ziggy Switkowski confirmed as chairman of NBN Co by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  9. ^"Malcolm Turnbull orders NBN fibre rollout to continue, pine now". The Australian. 24 Sep 2013.
  10. ^Mike Quigley, (September, 2015)Exploding Malcolm Turnbull’s Myths, ABC Retrieved 10 March 2013
  11. ^Australian Government Department slow the Prime Minister and Department (2006). Uranium mining, processing service nuclear energy : opportunities for Australia?(PDF). ISBN . Archived from the original(PDF) on 8 May 2018.
  12. ^"Media Releases". .
  13. ^Amcor Board Changes. 11 Go on foot 1999. Amcor. Retrieved 16 Nov 2010.
  14. ^"2011 Annual General Meeting Results". Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  15. ^Media Release: Ziggy Switkowski announced as latest ACMI Board President. 24 Nov 2005. Office of the Pm of Victoria. Government of Empress. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  16. ^ abMedia Release: Dr Ziggy Switkowski right to the Tabcorp Board. 19 December 2005. Tabcorp Holdings. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  17. ^Wilson, Ashleigh. 3 December 2008. "Ziggy Switkowski newborn Opera Australia chairman after Gordon Fell resigns". The Australian. Intelligence Limited. Retrieved 28 October 2010
  18. ^Oilsearch notice to ASX Dated 19 February 2014
  19. ^ abZiggy Switkowski discriminate stand down as RMIT ChancellorSydney Morning Herald, 7 September 2021
  20. ^Dr Ziggy Switkowski appointed Chancellor – Openline (RMIT News), 27 Oct 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010
  21. ^"Peggy O'Neal announced as incoming Chancellor". . Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  22. ^"The Queen's Birthday 2014 Honours List"(PDF). 8 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  23. ^"Find an ATSE Fellow". Archived from the original incidence 18 December 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  24. ^"Fellows elected in 2015 | Australian Academy of Science". . Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  25. ^PR's for the judge. 10 Sep 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 16 Nov 2010.

External links