Some telecommunications executives smarm up to journalists and analysts.

Not so Telecom CFO Russ Houlden.

This morning, at the Q&A following his company’s results briefing, Mr Houlden was asked by Business Wire cub reporter Paul McBeth where Telecom had gained its $130 million in savings (for the record, lower staff costs, offshoring and lower cost of sales, among other measures).

Some CFOs would take this as an opportunity to grandstand, reiterating their deft cost cutting skills for the benefit of the assembled analysts from Forsyth Barr, Goldman Sachs JBWere and elsewhere.

No so our UK import, who curtly told the boy McBeth to watch the webcast video of his comments later. Grumpy Cop did not deign to repeat them, despite the Business Wire journo gamely repeating his question three times.