AAPT boss gets gov gig

Paul Broad, the outspoken CEO of Australian telecoms company AAPT, is said to be leaving the industry to take on the top job at Infrastructure NSW.

The newly-elected NSW Liberal state government is understood to have head-hunted Broad, who is no stranger to government roles. He started his career working with Treasury in Canberra, and was managing director of Hunter Water and Sydney Water. Also before joining the telecommunications sector, he headed EnergyAustralia for seven years, transforming it from a public, government utility to a competitive national retailer of gas and electricity.

The Sun-Herald reported on Sunday that his appointment will be announced “within days.”

It also said that the board of Infrastructure NSW would include former John Howard advisor and CEO of Sydney Airport, Max ‘the Axe’ Moore-Wilton. Last week, a former NSW Liberal premier, Nick Greiner was appointed chairman.

Part of Infrastructure NSW’s remit will be to prepare a 20-year infrastructure strategy for the State and supervise Restart NSW, a capital fund that will assist in building essential infrastructure, including public transport.

AAPT and its parent company Telecom New Zealand have yet to comment on the speculation.

Broad has been CEO of AAPT since 2007, when it acquired PowerTel where he had been CEO, a transaction that put A$7m in Broad's pocket. TNZ acquired AAPT as part of its unsuccessful foray into Australia, and last year it sold AAPT's consumer business to iiNet.®