Avaya hires Optus exec as ANZ managing director

Avaya has appointed Optus vice president Simon Vatcher as its new managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Vatcher replaces Peter Chidiac, who left Avaya in February 2020 to work at Sydney-based professional services company Informotion as head of global sales.

Based in Sydney, Vatcher is tasked with expanding Avaya’s market presence and to help increase adoption of the company’s multi-modal, open unified communications (UC) and contact centre software and services.

Speaking on his appointment, Vatcher said “A recent survey of [Asia-Pacific] organisations revealed one third weren’t prepared for the impact of Covid-19 while 80 percent admitted their employees’ ability to work was inhibited after government-sanctioned lockdowns came into effect earlier this year. That means decisions made now will have a profound influence on the future of the digital workplace.”

“My priority is to introduce data-driven growth strategies so that our customers and partners can not only rapidly deploy our comprehensive communication solutions but maximise the benefits they gain from those capabilities in shorter time scales. We must enable our customers to adapt, ensure employees are equipped to perform and upskill, and boost overall customer service responsiveness”

Vatcher reports to Avaya vice president for East Asia and the Pacific Sami Ammous.

Speaking on Vatcher’s appointment, Ammous said “Simon’s experience in the communications and telco industries in Australia and abroad ensures we can enable organisations and their employees to connect, collaborate, and ultimately better service their customers at this time of heightened need.”

“With a renewed local strategy focused on long-term, high value relationships with customers and partners, our ANZ business is poised to provide the market with tailored solutions that make them truly agile so they can adapt quickly, and deliver exceptional experiences for their teams and customers under any conditions.”

At Optus, Vatcher worked as vice president and managing director of Optus Business, the telco’s IT and telco services arm, since 2019. He joined the company in 2014 holding a number of leadership roles.

Prior to that, he ran his own IT services company in the UK, as well as holding a number of executive roles at Fujitsu, CSC, Getronics, JP Morgan Chase and more.