Optus names Vic McClelland as head of Optus Networks

Optus has appointed telecom veteran Vic McClelland as the managing director of its Optus Networks division.

McClelland will assume responsibility for Optus’s mobile infrastructure investments and the day-to-day operations of the company’s fixed, mobile and satellite networks.

He will join Optus on 4 November, and will report to Optus’s CEO for consumer Australia, Kevin Russell.

McClelland has experience in the Australian and global telecom markets, having held roles including head of technology strategy and planning at Vodafone Hutchison Australia and chief technical officer of Hutchison Telecommunications, Australia.

He was most recently vice president of technology strategy for internet services at Ericsson, working out of Silicon Valley in the US.

Commenting on his appointment, McClelland said he is “keen to get started on the next phase of rolling out Optus’s ... multiband 4G network.”

Optus started rolling out 4G services last year, starting launches with Newcastle, Sydney and Perth.

Pictured: Vic McClelland, soon-to-be managing director of Optus Networks.