Optus CEO Allen Lew to step down, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin named as replacement

Optus CEO Allen Lew will step back from the role next year to make way for incoming chief Kelly Bayer Rosmarin.

The company announced that Bayer Rosmarin, currently deputy CEO, will assume the top job on 1 April 2020. Lew will go on to join parent company Singtel’s management committee in the new role of CEO group strategy and business development, in addition to becoming country chief officer for Thailand.

Bayer Rosmarin is a relatively recent hire for Optus, having joined Australia’s second largest telco on 1 March in the newly created role as deputy CEO for the consumer division. Lew said at the time that the role was specifically created to help Optus speed up improvements to customer experience.

Prior to Optus, Bayer Rosmarin was group executive of institutional banking and markets for Commonwealth Bank Australia. Prior to that, she had stints working for Oracle in Silicon Valley and spent more than a decade in the financial sector.

“I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to lead Optus at this exciting juncture, with 5G on the horizon and the Australian economy digitalising rapidly,” said Bayer Rosmarin.

“I look forward to harnessing and optimising the benefits of these changes for our customers across the country, and working with the passionate people at Optus to drive innovation, deliver great customer service, and power the digital economy with connectivity for all Australians.”

Lew took the CEO role of Optus in 2014, having worked for the Singtel Group since 1980. “I look forward to passing the baton to Kelly whose ability to leverage technology, data and analytics to develop leading customer services and experiences will ensure Optus stays ahead of the game,” said Lew.

Singtel Group CEO Chua Sock Koong also commented on the job rotation, praising both Bayer Rosmarin and Lew.

“Kelly brings a unique blend of technology, commercial and management expertise from a career spanning financial services, management consulting and the Silicon Valley tech sector to Optus,” she said. “She will build on the success of Optus that has flourished under Allen’s dynamic leadership, particularly as we move into the next phase of 5G-powered growth.”

On Lew, Sock Koong said: “Allen’s standout tenure at Optus has made it the go-to operator in Australia for great connectivity, innovative services and exciting content.”

As Bayer Rosmarin alluded to, the job swap comes at a pivotal time for Optus, having launched its 5G home broadband proposition just last month.