Alcatel-Lucent strengthens its grip in NBN Company

The CEOof the company building Australia's national broadband network has filled out its executive ranks with managers from a swathe of business sectors, including his old stomping ground at Franco-American network equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent.

Alcatel-Lucent's former chief financial officer from 1999-2007, Jean-Pascal Beaufret, has been appointed to the same position at NBN Company.

Beaufret was previously deputy secretary of the Treasury and head of the Tax Administration in France's Ministry of Finance. The executive who was listed in France's Who's Who oversees capital spending and financing of NBN Co's estimated $43 billion budget.

"These appointments are a critical first step in delivering on this important nation-building infrastructure project," said NBN executive chairman Mike Quigley, formerly Alcatel's North American president and chief operating officer.

The NBN Company will also appoint:

• Christy Boyce to head of industry engagement (was McKinsey and Company telecoms practice co-leader)
• Greg Willis to head of program delivery (former head of Coles' program delivery)
• Kevin Brown to chief human resources officer (was head of Qantas' human resources)
• Tim Smeallie as head of commercial strategy (was a telecoms researcher at Citigroup)

"Each executive brings the best in industry expertise to critical areas of the National Broadband Network and ensures at this very early stage that we have the right mix of capabilities to lead this project through the planning stages," Quigley said.

The company will add more executives over the coming months, it said.

"Everyone who is joining NBN during its formative stage is well aware of the tasks ahead and the commitment needed to guide what will be a very large and complex infrastructure project," Quigley said.