Telstra has announced that long serving CEO Bruce Akhurst will leave the company in May after 15 years of service.

 

Mr Akhurst joined Telstra as General Counsel in 1996 and was later appointed to the role of Group Managing Director, Legal and Regulatory before moving to lead Wholesale and BigPond. Bruce has been with Sensis for the past 7 years.

 

Telstra CEO David Thodey thanked Mr Akhurst for his years of service, saying he was instrumental in the transitioning of Telstra from a traditional phone company to telecommunications provider.

 

Mr Thodey says that despite a challenging print environment, Sensis has managed to maintain strong print revenues compared with its global peers and has started its transition into a fully digital capable media business. The early success of these digital solutions in the marketplace is encouraging.

 

Rick Ellis, Group Managing Director Telstra Digital Media, will be acting CEO of Sensis and work through a transition period with Mr Akhurst during a recruitment process for a permanent replacement.

 

"I have been amazed and inspired by the commitment and resourcefulness of our people. The Sensis team is executing a significant transformation and building an exciting future for a once traditional print business. Their talent, customer focus and dedication has been exceptional," Mr Akhurst said.

 

"I thank my team and my colleagues at Telstra and wish everyone in the business every success in the future."