TelstraClear boss declines invitation to join telco 'CEO club'
He's been designated part of the in-crowd, but Allan Freeth wants to make it clear his company will stay out.
TelstraClear chief executive Allan Freeth has been designated part of the in-crowd, but won't be joining the newly created CEO Forum - a group of telecommunications company bosses that will meet under the umbrella of the Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF).
On Friday, NBR reported that Dr Freeth, plus 2degrees boss Eric Hertz, had been invited to join the CEO Forum.
In a statement, Dr Freeth said NBR's article had "errors and is misleading."
NBR's article did not state if Dr Freeth intended to take up the invitation or not.
Today, he said he would not.
“TelstraClear is not a member of a ‘telco CEO club’. We are a completely independent player and our focus is on providing our customers with quality products at good prices, and making a fair return on the investment of our shareholders," Dr Freeth said.
“We fully support the Telecommunications Carriers Forum and its work on key industry-wide issues, and have been a long-time member of the TCF. But we do not feel a need to participate in any form of chief executives' club, especially if it does not have any customer focus to it. It was the very reason we did not join the Vodafone-led Telecommunications Industry Group in the first place."
As first-reported by NBR last week, the Telecommunications Industry Group (TIG), formed in early 2009, has been rolled into the more established Telecommunications Carriers Forum.
Chris Keall
Mon, 18 Jul 2011
Mon, 18 Jul 2011
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TelstraClear boss declines invitation to join telco 'CEO club'
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