UPDATE: Two top executives at Optus will resign following the company’s catastrophic failure to handle emergency calls. Chief Financial Officer and board director Michael Venter and Chief Information Officer Mark Potter are set to leave in March 2026. This decision comes as the telco faces intense scrutiny over its handling of critical triple-zero calls.
In September, a firewall update led to a major outage, preventing over 600 emergency calls from connecting across South Australia, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and parts of New South Wales. Tragically, the outage has been linked to three deaths, prompting widespread outrage.
Optus’s failure to promptly notify the federal communications department about the outage—by sending emails to the wrong address—left authorities uninformed for more than a day. The severity of the situation drew attention from international leaders, with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressing condolences to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who stated that Optus “let down the nation.”
Despite the scandal, Optus CEO Stephen Rue noted that the departures follow “long-term and open discussions.” He confirmed that both Venter and Potter would remain in their roles until March 2026 to ensure a smooth transition during this critical period.
Venter previously served as interim CEO before Rue took over in November 2024, following the exit of Kelly Bayer Rosmarin after another network outage in November 2023. The ongoing challenges have raised questions about Rue’s future, as political pressure mounts, with some officials calling the situation “absolutely disgraceful.”
In a statement, Rue remained focused on implementing necessary changes, stating, “I am absolutely determined and focused to work through these processes that we’re doing here and to implement recommendations.”
As part of leadership changes, Andy Giles Knopp, currently CFO at Aussie Broadband, will take over from Venter in April 2026. Optus chair John Arthur praised Knopp’s ability to lead high-performing teams through transformation.
The fallout continues as Optus, alongside rival Telstra, has alerted customers about the potential blocking of several older Samsung mobile phones from accessing their networks due to issues with connecting to triple-zero.
The situation remains fluid, and more updates are expected as Optus navigates this crisis. Stakeholders and customers alike are watching closely for how the company will address these significant failures moving forward.
