Optus has revealed a change of leadership in its Networks division. Mr. Baird will work side by side with Mr. Amirthalingam in this crucial period. The goal is to bring continuity of strong leadership in the face of long-term challenges that have hurt customer service. Incoming chief information officer (CIO) John McInerney, who joined Optus in November 2025, has been brought on board. The transition follows another high-profile executive departure at the company, which took place just a month ago.
A separate media release from Optus seemed to foreshadow more Networks changes, and stressed the need for stability within this division during the ongoing transition. That said, Mr. Baird’s last day on the job at the company is officially not known. The company has not provided any further explanation for his departure. For one, they have yet to explain whether his departure is related to recent technical problems customers have experienced.
Customer Coverage Restored
Earlier this week, Optus announced that it had returned service to about 105,000 affected customers. The details of exactly how they did this are still unclear. At the time of publication, an Optus spokesperson could not verify if customers were only required to restart their phones to fix any service shortfalls.
“If customers see ‘No Service’ or ‘SOS’ on their device, they are advised to restart their phone, to restore service.” – Optus
While we applaud these efforts to fix the coverage gap and the half measures they have enacted, it remains unclear if these fixes will work.
Ongoing Technical Challenges
The company admitted that as of now, it is working closely with its ally Ericsson to avoid service interruptions. In a statement, Optus highlighted a reduction in the number of customers affected by the ongoing issues, indicating progress in resolving technical glitches.
“We are actively working with our partner Ericsson and have noticed a significant decline in the number of customers impacted.” – Optus
New customers are still experiencing outages, raising alarm over not only service consistency but executive security at Optus.
Recent Executive Changes
Optus’ far-reaching leadership changes take place against a backdrop that has seen rapid executive turnover. Only a month prior to Mr. Baird’s announcement, the company’s Chief Operating Officer resigned. This unexpected resignation sparked inquiries about the corporate local weather at Optus. As the company transitions through these pivots, the company finds itself under even greater scrutiny from customers and stakeholders across the board.
