Optus staff ‘should all feel proud’, says new boss amid fresh crisis

New CEO Stephen Rue says staff should be ‘proud’ of their ‘efforts to regain business momentum and deliver growth' despite Optus facing accusations of ‘unconscionable conduct’.

Optus’s new CEO Stephen Rue says he has always admired the telco’s challenger spirit. Picture: Britta Campion

Optus’s new chief executive Stephen Rue has expressed disappointment over allegations the telco manipulated credit checks to sell hundreds of phones and mobile plans to people who couldn’t afford them.

But said staff should be “proud” of their “efforts to regain business momentum and deliver growth for Optus” as it faces its third crisis in two years.

Last week, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission announced it was suing Optus in the Federal Court, alleging sales staff manipulated credit checks to sell hundreds of phones and mobile plans to people who couldn’t afford them.

The court action comes as Optus reels from 2022’s cyber attack and last year’s nationwide outage, which cut off more than 10 million Australians, ultimately costing former chief executive Kelly Bayer-Rosmarin her job.

Mr Rue joined the nation’s second biggest telco this week after resigning from government-owned NBN Co in May and being paid more than $1.4m while on ‘gardening leave’.

In his first note to staff, Mr Rue said he had “always admired” Optus’s “challenger spirit”, while acknowledging the past two years have been “challenging” for Singapore-controlled telco.

But Mr Rue said while disappointing staff should feel proud of their efforts on the whole.

“I recognise that recent years have been challenging – including last week’s ACCC action over inappropriate retail sales conduct, which I know must have been disappointing to learn of,” Mr Rue told Optus staff.

“It’s important to me that we can all be proud to work for Optus and I will always be focused on ensuring we are a company that is known for doing the right thing – especially for our customers.

“Despite what Optus has faced over the past two years, you should all feel proud of your efforts to regain business momentum and deliver growth for Optus. The company is in a stronger and more resilient position as a result – and I’m confident that together we can simplify the way we work and clarify how we will deliver Optus’ next chapter of growth.”

The ACCC alleged that Optus staff put undue pressure on customers including First Nations people and those with disabilities living in remote areas to buy phones and plans they could not afford, including in remote areas where they had no coverage.

ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the practice was completely “unacceptable”, with staff incentivised to sell products sold to the vulnerable consumers via commission-based remuneration schemes.

Mr Rue said he will spend the coming weeks “listening to people right across the business”.

“It’s important that I hear your stories, experience, and aspirations for Optus. Your views and experience will help shape a fresh vision and strategy that must be unashamedly focused on delivering for our customers and being a genuine contributor to the economic and social wellbeing of Australia,” he told staff.

“It is also really important to me that Optus is a great place to work, and that you feel valued for your contribution to our success. I hope you will be open to speaking up on ways we can make Optus an even better business, whether for our customers or our people.

“I truly believe Optus is a great company delivering products and services that are essential to our modern lives – and our customers and the broader Australian community need us to be strong and successful. I have always admired the challenger spirit that is a big part of Optus’ DNA and want to ensure that we reclaim this position in the eyes of our customers and the market.”