Head of Telecom Retail quits

Gourdie was hired by former Telecom CEO Paul Reynolds, and joined the company in August 2008. Gourdie returned to New Zealand to take up the role, leaving his London-based job as managing director of UK and European operations at Asia Pacific Breweries.

Telecom’s new CEO, Simon Moutter, will appoint a new head of the retail business after he takes up the CEO position on August 13. Moutter was originally expected to start on September 1.

The Telecom Retail business unit provides calling, access, mobile and data services to more than two million customers, including consumers and small to medium enterprises.

Acting Telecom CEO Chris Quin says: “Alan has done an exceptional job growing the business during one of the most significant periods of competition and change in Telecom’s history.

“He has led a significant improvement in the company’s relationships with its customers, fundamentally reshaped Telecom’s mobile offerings to compete in a highly competitive and fast moving market, and continued to develop Telecom’s fixed line business.”

Alan Gourdie, who told media he was applying for the Telecom CEO role when Reynolds resigned, says he is proud of what Telecom and the Retail team have achieved over the last four years.

“We now have the customer focus and brand required to be a highly competitive retail service provider in the new world of telecommunications in NZ,” says Gourdie.

“The company has a bright future after demerger and I am pleased to be leaving the business with very good momentum.”

During Gourdie’s tenure he hired three high profile marketing executives: Florida-based Paul Hamburger, who oversaw the marketing launch of the XT Network and then left the company in 2010; Kieren Cooney who fronted for the company after the "abstinence" Rugby World Cup campaign was pulled, following a leak to the media; and Jason Paris, who replaced Cooney following a brief stint at Mediaworks and who remains with the company.