Vocus board reshuffle sees Bob Mansfield named chair

Vocus has kicked off a board reshuffle following the exit of the telco's CEO Geoff Horth a week ago.

Bob Mansfield.

One-time Telstra chair Bob Mansfield has been named as Vocus' new chairman, replacing Vaughan Bowen.

Bowen had only been chairman of the company since October last year.

In addition, Craig Farrow - who had been deputy chair of Vocus until October last year - also resigned today. Mansfield had been deputy chair until today's elevation to chair.

The resignations would allow the telco to achieve “further board renewal” by providing room for the appointment of new “independent non-executive directors”, Vocus said in a financial filing.

Horth, Bowen and Farrow all came to Vocus through the 2016 merger with M2. Horth had been CEO, Bowen a founder and executive director, and Farrow the chairman of M2 at the time of the merger.

The changes come as Vocus continues to look for a way out of trouble caused by its inability to successfully integrate a large number of acquired businesses.

Mansfield said Bowen had "been instrumental in the majority of the transactions pivotal to making Vocus in the large-scale, profitable, diversified telecommunication company we are today”.

“His decision to stand down as chairman at this time, in the interest of maximizing our opportunity to secure an outstanding new CEO, is testament to Vaughan’s commitment to putting the company first," Mansfield said in a statement.

Vocus said Mansfield would hold his new position "for the foreseeable future".

As it did in the wake of Horth's departure, the company also reiterated its existing financial guidance.