Telstra names new CIO

Telstra has named former Seek and Westpac CIO Patrick Eltridge as its new new chief information officer, replacing John McInerney who resigned from the role in June this year.

Patrick Eltridge (Credit: Telstra)

Eltridge's appointment, which will begin from 22 November this year, was announced to Telstra staff earlier today by the telco's chief operating officer Michael Rocca.

"I am pleased to announce that Patrick Eltridge joins us from Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, starting as CIO on 22 November 2010. Patrick is ideally suited for Telstra's CIO role as his wide experience in the banking sector includes managing significant system changes, performing in a global architectural role and operating in a customer-facing business unit," Rocca said in a note to Telstra staff.

"Patrick's deep knowledge and support of a customer-led business with a particular focus on online customer experiences and workforce productivity will add significant value to the position."

Eltridge comes to the role from a position as the CIO of Standard Charter Bank. He has also worked as the CIO for Business and Consumer Banking at Westpac for four years, and has been CIO at Seek for four years.

Rocca said Eltridge's role would be crucial in the company's new strategy.

"Within IT we will continue to drive the agenda of our customer-centric transition — building out our online capability, giving our front-of-house business units the tools they require to serve our customers and supporting our company-wide efforts to improve our productivity," he said. "Patrick will lead the IT team to deliver on this significant program of work."

Ashley Lazaro, who has been acting in the CIO role since McInerney's departure, will become Telstra's executive director in IT infrastructure and services.