Kate McKenzie

Kate (Kathryn) McKenzie was appointed as a Non-executive Director effective 25 February 2021. Kate was appointed as a member of the People & Governance Committee and as a member of the Risk Management Committee on the same date.

Kate is a highly experienced Chief Executive Officer and Non-executive Director with extensive experience in large change management and turnarounds, with particular expertise in the telecommunications sector. After starting her career in the public sector, where she attained the level of chief executive, Kate was approached to join Telstra in 2004 as the Group Managing Director Regulatory, Public Policy and Communications. In her 12 years at Telstra, Kate held a range of senior executive roles in strategy, marketing, products and wholesale. Prior to leaving Telstra, Kate was Chief Operating Officer, responsible for networks, IT, field services, property and NBN relations and delivery.

In 2017 Kate was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Chorus, a New Zealand top 50 listed telecommunications company. Under Kate’s leadership, Chorus built out a fibre-to-the-home network to 87% of New Zealand and underwent cultural change and infrastructure transformation, implementing a digitisation and process efficiency program.

Kate is passionate about innovation and technology, and co-founded muru-D, an incubator which has produced 44 graduating companies, with 41 still in operation; Gurrowa, a co-creation lab, and partnerships with universities, such as investment in Quantum Computing with the University of New South Wales.

Kate currently serves on the boards of AMP Limited (since November 2020), nbn co Limited (since December 2019) and Stockland Corporation Limited (since December 2019).

Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney.