Ziggy Switkowski

Ziggy Switkowski AO FAA FTSE FAICD
Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
In office February 2011 – October 2021
Vice Chancellor	Margaret Gardner Martin Bean
Preceded by	Dennis Gibson
Succeeded by	Peggy O'Neal
Personal details
Born	1948 Rheine, West Germany[1]
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Profession	business executive nuclear physicist

Zygmunt Edward "Ziggy" Switkowski (born 1948) is a Polish Australian business executive and nuclear physicist. His most public role was as the chief executive officer of Australia's largest telecommunications company Telstra from 1999 to 2004. During his tenure, he oversaw the privatisation of the then government-owned corporation through a series of public tranche sales (known as the T1, T2 and T3 sales). Later positions were chairman of both NBN Co and Suncorp, a director of Healthscope, Oil Search and Tabcorp and the Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University).^[2]

Early life

Switkowski was born in Germany in 1948 to Polish parents. His family migrated to Australia when he was one year old and settled in Melbourne. He attended St Bernard's College in Essendon (a suburb of Melbourne), and earned a bachelor's degree in science and a doctorate in nuclear physics (at 24 years old) from the University of Melbourne where he was resident at Ormond College. He then completed six years of postdoctoral research.

Career

Kodak

Switkowksi joined Kodak as a research scientist in 1978. He moved to New York, becoming Kodak's director of business planning in 1985. In 1988, he returned to Australia, becoming deputy managing director of Kodak's Australian subsidiary, and in 1992, became its CEO.^[3]

He would later say about his time as CEO of Kodak Australasia, "that's when I morphed from being a technologist to being a business executive … and I do think they were my character-forming years."^[4]

In 1995, Switkowski received the Advance Australia Award for outstanding achievement in industry and commerce.

Optus and Telstra

In 1996, Switkowski became CEO of Australia's second largest telecommunications company Optus.^[2][3][5]

On 1 March 1999, Switkowski was appointed chief executive officer of Australia's public and largest telecommunications company Telstra, and to the board of directors of Telstra's pay television partner Foxtel.^[2][5] Before his appointment, he was group managing director of Telstra's Business and International Development division.^[2]

During his tenure at Telstra, Switkowski oversaw the introduction of a number of services to the company; such as its major internet service provider subsidiary BigPond, and substantial expansion of others; such as its advertising and directories subsidiary Pacific Access (later re-branded as Sensis in 2002).

Switkowski oversaw the implementation of the second tranche sale of Telstra (the 'T2' sale) on the Australian Stock Exchange, New Zealand Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange that began in September 1999.^[6] The first tranche sale of Telstra (the 'T1' sale) took place before Switkowski was appointed CEO of Telstra. He also oversaw the planning for the third tranche sale of Telstra (the 'T3' sale).

Switkowski resigned from Telstra on 3 December 2004, and was replaced by Solomon Trujillo.^[7]

NBN

On 3 October 2013, Switkowski was confirmed as the new chairman and interim CEO of NBN Co by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull,^[8] and reverted to the role of Non-Executive Chairman from 2 April 2014 following the appointment of Bill Morrow as chief executive officer. This followed a decision to deliver the NBN with 'alternative technologies' such as Fibre to the node^[9] and the use of a Multi-Technology Mix (MTM).^[10]

Nuclear research

On 6 June 2006, Switkowski was appointed to chair a Commonwealth Government inquiry into the viability of a domestic nuclear power industry.^[5] He was later appointed chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) by federal Minister for Science Julie Bishop on 4 March 2007. Switkowski was originally appointed to the board of ANSTO on 1 January 2006, but stood down when appointed to the inquiry. After the completion of the inquiry, he was then reappointed to the board as chairman on 1 March 2007. His term as chairman concluded at the end of 2010.

The inquiry concluded that Australia is well positioned to increase its production and export of uranium as well as adding nuclear power to its own energy mix.^[11] However, an independent panel of Australian scientists and nuclear experts have been critical of these findings,^[12] claiming that they relied upon flawed assumptions while dodging important questions such as the disposal of radioactive waste and the potential greenhouse gas implications of increased mining.

Other directorships

Switkowski served as a non-executive director of the multinational packaging company Amcor from 1995 to 1999.^[5][13]

On 19 September 2005, Switkowski took a non-executive director role with Suncorp-Metway – his first position after resigning from Telstra.^[2][5][7] Since then he has become the chairman as of the 2011 Annual General Meeting.^[14]

In 2006, Switkowski was appointed president of the board of directors of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image on 1 January – for a three-year term.^[15][16] He also took non-executive director roles with Healthscope on 19 January, and with Tabcorp Holdings on 2 October.^[2][5][16]

In 2011 Switkowski was serving as a director of rare earth miner Lynas Corporation as per the director's Share Purchase Notice.

Switkowski was elected chairman of Opera Australia and on the board of directors of the Business Council of Australia.^[2][5][17]

Switkowski was later appointed to the Board of Oilsearch.^[18]

In August 2021, Switkowski was appointed as Chairman of Crown Resorts, Australia's largest gambling, gaming and entertainment company.^[19]

RMIT

On 27 October 2010, it was announced that Switkowski would become the Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University). He was officially appointed to the position on 1 January 2011.^[20] On 7 September 2021, Switkowsi announced that he would step down from the position of Chancellor of RMIT by the end of October 2021, two weeks after he was appointed as Chairman of Crown Resorts.^[19] Peggy O'Neal succeeded Switkowski as Chancellor in January 2022.^[21]

Honours

In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Switkowski was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), for "distinguished service to the community, particularly to tertiary education administration, scientific organisations and the telecommunications sector, to business, and to the arts".^[22]

Switkowski is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and also of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE).^[23] In 2015 he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA).^[24]

Personal life

Switkowski is married and lives with his wife near Cape Schanck, on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula.^[5][25]

References

1. Seselja, Louis. 1999. Portrait of Ziggy Switkowski. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2007
2. "Ziggy Switkowski BSc (Hons), PhD, FAICD, FTSE^{[dead link‍]}". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved: 16 November 2010.
3. Tait, Nikki (1 May 1996). "New Chief Executive for Optus". The Financial Times.
4. Pitt, Helen (8 June 2014). "Queen's Birthday honours list: the highlights". Sydney Morning Herald.
5. Biography – Zygmunt E Switkowski. Suncorp-Metway. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
6. The Telstra Story. Telstra. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
7. Murry, Lisa. Kruger, Colin. 20 September 2005. Sun comes out for Ziggy Switkowski. The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
8. Ziggy Switkowski confirmed as chairman of NBN Co by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
9. "Malcolm Turnbull orders NBN fibre rollout to continue, for now". The Australian. 24 September 2013.
10. Mike Quigley, (September, 2015)Exploding Malcolm Turnbull’s Myths, ABC Retrieved 10 March 2013
11. Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2006). Uranium mining, processing and nuclear energy : opportunities for Australia? (PDF). ISBN 9780980311501. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2018.
12. "Media Releases". www.energyscience.org.au.
13. Amcor Board Changes. 11 March 1999. Amcor. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
14. "2011 Annual General Meeting Results". Retrieved 22 August 2023.
15. Media Release: Ziggy Switkowski announced as new ACMI Board President. 24 November 2005. Office of the Premier of Victoria. Government of Victoria. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
16. Media Release: Dr Ziggy Switkowski appointed to the Tabcorp Board. 19 December 2005. Tabcorp Holdings. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
17. Wilson, Ashleigh. 3 December 2008. "Ziggy Switkowski new Opera Australia chairman after Gordon Fell resigns". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 28 October 2010
18. Oilsearch notice to ASX Dated 19 February 2014
19. Ziggy Switkowski to stand down as RMIT Chancellor Sydney Morning Herald, 7 September 2021
20. Dr Ziggy Switkowski appointed Chancellor – Openline (RMIT News), 27 October 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010
21. "Peggy O'Neal announced as incoming Chancellor". www.rmit.edu.au. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
22. "The Queen's Birthday 2014 Honours List" (PDF). 8 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
23. "Find an ATSE Fellow". Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
24. "Fellows elected in 2015 | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
25. PR's for the judge. 10 September 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 16 November 2010.

Academic offices
Preceded by Dennis Gibson	Chancellor of RMIT University 2011–2021	Succeeded by Peggy O'Neal

External links

• Ziggy goes nuclear – ABC Interview
• Ziggy Switkowksi Interview – CEO Forum Group
• Greens slam Ziggy's Tas nuclear vision
• 'Ex-Telstra chief to head nuclear review' ABC News, 6 June 2006
• 'Nuclear costs understated: report's critics' Sydney Morning Herald, 22 November 2006
• 'Peer review panel says Switkowksi's nuclear timeframe is unrealistic' The World Today – Tuesday, 12 December 2006 12:29:00
• Switkowski appointed ANSTO chairman, ABC News Online 4 March 2007