MED mandarin was central figure in the "data tails" affair during his time at Telecom - and activity that landed the company a $12 million fine for anticompetitve behaviour yesterday.

In a round of corporate musical chairs, telecommunications expert Graham Mitchell is to run Crown Fibre Holdings, while Ralph Chivers, the project's programme head, is taking charge of Telecom's lobbying.

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Crown fibre kingpin takes Telecom job

Crown Fibre Holdings (CFH) has been established to manage the Crown's $1.5 billion investment in ultra-fast broadband infrastructure over the next ten years.

Ralph Chivers – arguably the single most knowledgeable person about the government’s $1.5 billion plan – has taken a senior job at Telecom.

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Telecom vet to take charge at Crown Fibre Holdings
Combative Aussie added to Crown Fibre Holdings board

The moody teenager of NZ telecommunications is welcome to come home, if it wants. Plus: “We don’t want to clone Ralph.”

Just days into his new role as chairman of the Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF), Richard Westlake has a rebellion on his hands, with Two Degrees walking out.