09/05/2007 09:00
After a three-month courtship, Telecom New Zealand today acquired 100% of Australian business telecommunications company, PowerTel. The deal, announced at the end of January, strengthens the base of Telecom NZ’s Australian subsidiary, AAPT, and allows PowerTel to continue to grow its business to business and wholesale operations.

Today also marks the beginning of a new era with Paul Broad stepping into the job of Chief Executive Officer, a role that will see him heading up the new structure. At this point, PowerTel and AAPT will continue to operate as individual brands with business as usual.

Paul Broad has a proven track record of success.  He was one of the founding Directors of PowerTel in 1999 and he has been instrumental in building the company into what it is today.  

Prior to his appointment as Managing Director in 2004, he spent a total of 15 years at the helm of Sydney’s leading utilities organisations, Sydney Water and Energy Australia.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era in the Australian telecommunications landscape and new challenges for Paul Broad,” he said.

“I am looking forward to continuing to provide a competitive, flexible and innovative telecommunications alternative for Australian business as well as consumers, through my new role at AAPT.

“PowerTel is well-positioned in the national market and has been servicing the SME and corporate sector very effectively for more than three years. AAPT is one of the country’s largest telecommunications providers with a solid, established business and consumer customer base.  

“Telecommunications is an exciting, dynamic and constantly changing industry, particularly in this country, and the next few years should be very interesting indeed,” Mr Broad said.

Contact
Tahn Shannon
Head of Corporate Communications
02 9009 9030