Quigley fronts speaking circuit; Thodey abstains

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NBN Company CEO Mike Quigley has already booked himself in to give five speeches to Australia’s business community this year, while his opposite at Telstra, David Thodey, appears so far to be abstaining from the conference circuit.

According to the groups’ respective web sites, Quigley (photo right) has already confirmed he will speak at events held by the Australian Telecommunications Users Group (March), Communications Day (April), the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (May), the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce (July) and the Trans-Tasman Business Circle (September).

Several of the speeches are expected to be given to packed conferences of several hundred people at least.

Events such as the Trans-Tasman Business Circle’s business lunch series have proven to be attractive to Australian technology executives, with top-profile leaders such as Optus chief Paul O’Sullivan and IBM’s Glen Boreham having given landmark speeches at such occasions in the past.

The pair have already booked in for some events this year; for example, O’Sullivan will in March speak at an event held by the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce.

Other top-profile telco executives have also already confirmed their attendance as speakers in Australia and New Zealand’s business circuit, especially Telecom New Zealand chair Wayne Boyd and chief executive Paul Reynolds.

VHA chief Nigel Dews will make an appearance in August at the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce, while Macquarie Telecom’s managing director of hosting, Aidan Tudehope, will front the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia in Melbourne in April.

However, one noticeable absence from the business speaking circuit in 2010 is Telstra CEO David Thodey, who so far does not appear to have confirmed his attendance at any major event.

Thodey’s predecessor Sol Trujillo had favoured American Chamber of Commerce events for major speeches, while his group managing director of public policy and communications, Phil Burgess, was a frequent speaker at many conferences.

So far Thodey is listed only as a “to be confirmed” speaker with the Trans-Tasman Business Circle — in Auckland.

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