Trujillo 'world class' in making enemies

Sol Trujillo. Photo / Mark Mitchell

CANBERRA: Former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski has taken aim at his recently departed successor, saying Sol Trujillo had managed to make enemies of both the Howard and Rudd Governments.

But Switkowski is confident new chief executive David Thodey is taking the right path in restoring the telco's relationship with Government.

Switkowski, who headed Telstra for six years until Trujillo took over in 2005, said the American's strategy was never going to work.

The former US telecommunications company executive was famously combative in his dealings with the Government, especially over what he regarded as excessive regulation of Telstra.

Trujillo has returned to the US, as have severalexecutives he recruited.

"They were going to confront the regulatory imposition on Telstra head-on and not only stop the growth of regulation, but in fact reverse it," Switkowski said of Trujillo, his executives and the telco's board.

The "very adversarial" strategy was played out in public through the media and involved extensive litigation.

It was much like how regional telcos operated in the US.

"It was never going to work because Telstra in Australia occupies a position like no other telco company anywhere else in the world," Switkowski told ABC Radio.

"To create enemies out of two successive Governments is a world-class effort and that is what Trujillo and his team succeeded in doing."

Switkowski said the change in the Telstra management team was a very positive step and the company appeared more measured in its commentary and willingness to negotiate.

That was exactly the right approach, he said.

- AAP