An extensive restructure of Optus’ technology divisions has seen its chief information officer Lawrie Turner resign from the business.

“I can confirm Lawrie has resigned and will be finishing up with Optus at the end of August to join another organization,” a spokesperson for the telco said this afternoon. It appears that ZDNet.com.au broke the story of the CIO’s departure, although Communications Day flagged the Optus restructure this morning.

Turner won the CIO role in August 2007, coming across from a previous position as Coles’ general manager of retail systems. The executive has also worked in other large iconic Australian companies such as Qantas — where he led the integration of all commercial systems for the merger of Qantas and Australian Airlines.

According to Optus, the restructure announced yesterday will see its IT division merged with parts of its Products and Delivery and Networks teams — with a new unit to be formed dubbed “Technology and Products”.

Turner’s responsibilities has been subsumed into a new managing director position to lead that division — which will be taken by Andrew Buay, previously the leader of Optus’ Products and Delivery Team.

The news comes as somewhat of a changing of the guard in the top technology ranks at Australia’s largest telcos. Telstra has continued its horror run of short-lived chief information officers, with incumbent CIO John McInerney resigning after less than two years in the role in June.

Image credit: Optus

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