BT baits hook for glimpse of Asia Pacific talent pool

By Richard Braddell

WELLINGTON - A recent British Telecom advertisement in The Economist for an executive team to run its $US10 billion Asia Pacific empire is apparently no more than a fishing expedition to identify potential talent.

The advertisement, inserted by the Salzer recruitment group in Sydney, asked potential candidates for the positions of chief executive and chief operating officer, and as directors of finance, marketing and technical, to "Define your future with BT as part of its regional senior executive team."

However, Clayton Cosgrove, spokesman for Clear Communications, now 100 per cent-owned by BT, said the advertisements were aimed at identifying potential talent rather than filling specific positions.

"Basically, the aim is part of a strategy of BT's to identify a pool of people for further joint-venture efforts within the Asia Pacific region," he said.

However, a source close to BT in Australia said Clear did not currently fall within that strategy because BT had yet to decide what its strategy would be with Clear.

BT's 100 per cent ownership of Clear is unusual because the British giant usually prefers to take significant minority stakes in investments, which it then helps with advisory assistance and uses as conduits to its international network.

The uncertainty lends force to speculation that Telstra has its eye on a stake in Clear.

Confronted with a rebilling dispute with Telecom, Telstra is thought likely to accelerate plans either for network investment of its own, or an acquisition, to give it direct access to its business customer base in New Zealand.