Optus has appointed veteran telecommunications executive Sri Amirthalingam as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in a major leadership move aimed at strengthening the company’s network reliability and technology operations.
Sri Amirthalingam has been appointed as Optus’s new Chief Technology Officer, taking over from Tony Baird. (Source: telstrawholesale)
Amirthalingam joins Optus after a 36-year career at Telstra, where he held senior roles across network engineering, infrastructure planning, and technology strategy. He replaces outgoing CTO Tony Baird, who will remain for a transition period before departing.
The appointment comes as Optus continues efforts to rebuild public trust following a major network failure in 2025 that disrupted access to emergency services and raised serious questions about the resilience of its systems.
Leadership Change Follows Emergency Network Outage
Optus has been under intense scrutiny since a widespread outage interrupted access to the national emergency call system for hours, preventing thousands of customers from reaching emergency services. The incident triggered government investigations and independent reviews into the company’s infrastructure, crisis response, and technical governance.
Optus headquarters in Sydney, where leadership changes aim to strengthen network operations.(Source: Bloomberg)
Since then, Optus has begun reshaping its leadership team, focusing on improving system stability, redundancy, and real-time monitoring of its national network.
Why Optus Chose Amirthalingam
During his time at Telstra, Amirthalingam was responsible for major technology investment programs and helped oversee the rollout and maintenance of both fixed and mobile network infrastructure across Australia. His experience in network transformation, service reliability, and large-scale technology operations was a key factor in his appointment.
Amirthalingam brings decades of telecom experience to oversee Optus’s network operations and technology transformation.(Source: umboss)
Optus executives believe his background will help modernise the company’s network architecture and prevent future large-scale service failures.
Transition Period Underway
Tony Baird will continue in his role for a short handover period to ensure continuity while Amirthalingam assumes responsibility for Optus’s technology strategy, cybersecurity, and network operations.
The transition is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2026.
Broader Leadership Reset
The CTO change is part of a broader shake-up inside Optus following the emergency services outage. The company is reviewing internal processes, upgrading system safeguards, and adjusting executive oversight structures to ensure greater accountability and operational resilience.
Industry analysts say Optus is under pressure to demonstrate that meaningful reforms are being made to prevent a repeat of the crisis.
Also Read:Â Chen Zhi Extradited to China as Global Scam Empire UnravelsÂ
What Comes Next
Amirthalingam’s priority will be stabilising Optus’s core network, improving fault-detection systems, and strengthening protections for critical services such as emergency calling, financial platforms, and enterprise connectivity.
Optus has stated that its long-term focus will be on building a more reliable, secure, and transparent technology environment for customers and regulators alike.
FAQs
- Who is the new Optus CTO?
The new Chief Technology Officer at Optus is Sri Amirthalingam, a telecommunications executive with 36 years of experience at Telstra, where he held senior roles across network operations, technology strategy, and infrastructure deployment.
- Why did Optus replace its CTO?
Optus replaced its CTO as part of a leadership reshuffle following a major network failure in 2025 that disrupted access to the national emergency call system. The change aims to strengthen technology leadership, improve network resilience, and restore public and regulatory confidence.
- What experience does Sri Amirthalingam bring to Optus?
Amirthalingam brings decades of experience in network engineering, infrastructure planning, and technology transformation. At Telstra, he oversaw large-scale fixed and mobile network deployments, led technology investment programs, and guided strategic initiatives to enhance network reliability.
- When will the new CTO start at Optus?
Sri Amirthalingam is expected to start in January 2026. He will work alongside outgoing CTO Tony Baird during a transition period to ensure a smooth handover.
- What happened to Optus’s emergency call system?
In September 2025, Optus experienced a major network outage that disrupted access to the Triple‑Zero emergency service for nearly 14 hours. Thousands of emergency calls failed to connect, prompting government investigations and independent reviews into the company’s network and crisis response systems.
- Who is leaving Optus leadership besides the CTO?
Alongside the CTO transition, other senior executives, including the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer, are scheduled to depart or transition out as part of a broader executive reshuffle and restructuring process.
- How will the leadership change affect Optus network performance?
The appointment of Sri Amirthalingam is expected to improve network stability, fault detection, and operational resilience. His experience in large-scale network operations is intended to prevent future outages and strengthen overall service reliability.
- Is Optus restructuring after the Triple‑Zero outage?
Yes. Optus is implementing a company-wide technology and leadership restructuring, including executive transitions, system upgrades, and process improvements, to prevent recurrence of large-scale service failures.
- What did the Optus outage review find?
The independent review of the outage identified weaknesses in emergency service routing, system monitoring, and internal response procedures. Recommendations included technology upgrades, better redundancy, and clearer accountability for critical services.
- Will Optus compensate customers after service failures?
Optus has committed to reviewing customer impacts and providing appropriate remediation for service disruptions. This may include compensation, refunds, or goodwill gestures depending on the severity of the outage’s effect on customers.
