NBN Co loses construction boss

NBN Co’s head of construction will depart the company after a year in the job, marking the latest of three construction bosses to leave NBN Co in under three years.

Richard Thorpe

NBN Co chief operating officer Greg Adcock announced the departure of construction executive general manager Richard Thorpe today in an internal email to staff, sighted by iTnews. The news was first reported by the Australian Financial Review.

Thorpe was appointed to the role in January last year as a replacement for former head of construction Dan Flemming, whose role was made redundant in an executive restructure which saw the construction role split into two.

Flemming was the second NBN Co executive to serve as head of construction behind Patrick Flannigan, who quit in April 2011 after a year and a half in the job, and just days after NBN Co was forced to suspend its building tenders for second release sites.

Flannigan rejoined the company late last year, as part of a wave of new non-executive directors.

Thorpe will be temporarily and immediately replaced by NBN Co general manager of implementation Peter Ryan. NBN Co declined to comment on his next moves. 

“I regret to inform you that Richard Thorpe, NBN Co’s EGM Construction will be leaving the company,” Adcock said in the email.

".. He has played a central role in the expansion of the NBN’s geographical reach. Please join me in thanking Richard for the contribution he has made to the NBN over the past 15 months as we wish him all the very best for the future."