Telstra CEO on Overseas Leave During Major Network Outage
Vicki Brady, who earns $6.7 million annually, was on vacation as millions of customers were affected by a nationwide technical failure.
Telstra's chief executive Vicki Brady was on an overseas holiday as a widespread technical failure disrupted services for millions of customers across Australia. The outage, which began Wednesday morning, impacted call capabilities, mobile data access, and electronic payment systems.
The disruption led to significant public transport chaos. In Victoria, all regional train services were suspended, and major rail lines in New South Wales experienced disruptions due to telecommunications faults.
While Brady was overseas, Telstra's chief financial officer, Michael Ackland, fronted media to address the crisis. A Telstra spokeswoman confirmed that Brady had been made aware of the outage and was receiving updates, stating she was "overseas at the moment and will be returning in the coming days." Ackland, acting as Brady's delegate, managed the issue, and the company reported "good progress on restoring services to full capacity."
Brady, who became Telstra's first female CEO in September 2022, is one of Australia's highest-paid chief executives, earning approximately $6.7 million in 2025 according to the Australian Financial Review. Her compensation and lifestyle, including a five-bedroom mansion on Sydney's north shore valued at an estimated $7.6 million, have drawn attention amid the outage. Ackland, meanwhile, received praise for his "calm and authoritative" handling of the situation during a media conference.
The cause of the nationwide outage is still under investigation. Australia's communications watchdog has launched its own inquiry into the incident. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented on the disruption, stating it was "very disruptive to people's lives throughout the country" and that the government was working closely with Telstra to ensure accurate answers were provided.