Australian to run AAPT

By PETER GRIFFIN

Telecom has stuck to its promise of hiring an Australian to run AAPT, but had to go all the way to Paris to find its man.

AT&T heavyweight Jonathon Stretch will return home to take on the challenge of turning AAPT into a competitive and profitable player in the crowded Australian telco market.

Stretch is vice-president of AT&T Business with responsibility for Europe, Middle East and Asia and thousands of staff across 33 countries.

He started in the IT industry, joining IBM Australia in 1985 and working his way up to head IBM's telecoms and media industry unit in Hong Kong.

Stretch replaces Marko Bogoievski, who has held the fort at AAPT since David Bedford left in March.

Since then, AAPT has launched a major marketing campaign aimed at the consumer market in a bid to regain some of the brand recognition it enjoyed a couple of years ago.

Despite his big credentials, Stretch will have his work cut out for him at AAPT. The Australian industry continues to consolidate and the likes of PowerTel, IP1, Nextgen, UeComm, Macquarie and Transact struggle to compete against Telstra and Optus. AAPT holds the middle ground between the emerging duopoly of Telstra and Optus and smaller players.

Stretch will start in late August.