Sophie, can you please look up pretty’s denials around this time in
the media and package this up at the end of Glenn Dyer’s piece on Ted
Pretty leaving Telstra, under a sort of CRIKEY: entry

Article from July 4 in Crikey email:

It hasn’t taken long. Within days of Telstra’s new CEO Sol Trujillo
starting his new gig, the rumours from within the telco are beginning
to whirr. Like this one:

Word is that Ted Pretty has resigned and is off to a US telco. In the
meantime his managers are trying to hide failed technology investments
running into tens of millions. They are extremely concerned that the
little Mexican will show them the door.

This may be the first Soliloquy of the Telstra Trujillo, but it certainly won’t be the last.


Article from July 5 in Crikey email:

There’s intense interest in the every move of new Telstra CEO Sol
Trujillo. Yesterday we reported on a tip that high-flying Telstra
technology and innovation chief Ted Pretty was on his way out – denied
by Pretty in today’s press. Now comes this piece of news from a Telstra
insider:

I hear new CEO Sol’s ego is already costing Telstra. He sent a list
with about five email names he wanted, including sol@telstra… The
problem is that this is the email address used for solve-dockets. He
was asked if he could find another option. His response: you have eight
days. It will apparently cost six figures in $ to make the change, plus
all the notifications… nice start to cost-cutting, Sol.

And in a story headed Sol calls for three amigos, The Australian
today reports that Trujillo has “recruited a hand-picked team of former
US colleagues to oversee sweeping changes to marketing and
communications strategy.” The story makes these points:

+ The marketing changes will be skippered by Mr
Trujillo’s long-time colleagues Bill Stewart and Phil Burgess. Mr
Trujillo will also bring in Greg Winn, his chief operating officer from
a former employer, telco US West, and failed dotcom Graviton…

+ Only 72 hours after stepping into his new role, Mr Trujillo told
Telstra’s senior managers, through the company’s traditional Monday
morning conference call, that he would move quickly to review the
communications apparatus. Telstra insiders said Mr Trujillo had already
made it clear that he was sensitive about the way he and Telstra were
presented in the media.