| Dr Zygmunt (Ziggy) Edward Switkowski BSc (Hons), PhD (Nuclear Physics) Melb, AMP Harv, FAICD, FTSE[1] |
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| Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |
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| Term | 2011 – incumbent |
| Predecessor | Dennis Gibson, AO |
| Successor | none |
| Born | 1948 |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne Harvard University |
| Profession | businessman nuclear physicist |
Dr Zygmunt "Ziggy" Edward Switkowski (born 1948, Germany)[2] is a Polish Australian businessman and nuclear physicist.
He is most known as the former Chief Executive Officer of Australia's largest telecommunications company Telstra, and for overseeing major aspects of the implementation and planning of its full privatisation through tranche sales (known as the 'T1', 'T2' and 'T3' sales).
In 2011, he was appointed the Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University).
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Switkowski was born in Germany in 1948 to Polish parents. His family migrated to Australia when he was one year old. He was raised in Melbourne, and attended St Bernard's College in Essendon – a suburb of Melbourne. He then studied at the University of Melbourne, where he earned a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in nuclear physics, and went on to complete six years of postdoctoral research. In 1993, he graduated from the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School.
Before his tenure at Telstra, Switkowski served as Chief Executive Officer of the telecommunications company Optus and the photographic equipment company Kodak (Australasia).[1][3] He also served as Chairman and Managing Director of Kodak (Australasia) from 1992–1996.[1] During this time, he also served as a non-executive director of the multinational packaging company Amcor from 1995–1999.[3][4]
In 1995, he received the Advance Australia Award for outstanding achievement in industry and commerce.
On 1 March 1999, Switkowski was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Australia's public and largest telecommunications company Telstra, and to the Board of Directors of Telstra's pay television partner Foxtel.[1][3] Before his appointment, he was Group Managing Director of Telstra's Business and International Development division.[1]
During his tenure at Telstra, Switkowski oversaw the introduction of a number of services to the company; such as its major internet service provider subsidiary BigPond, and substantial expansion of others; such as its advertising and directories subsidiary Pacific Access (later re-branded as Sensis in 2002).
He oversaw the implementation of the second tranche sale of Telstra (the 'T2' sale) on the Australian Stock Exchange, New Zealand Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange that began in September 1999.[5] The first tranche sale of Telstra (the 'T1' sale) took place before Switkowski was appointed CEO of Telstra. He also oversaw the planning for the third tranche sale of Telstra (the 'T3' sale).
Switkowski resigned from Telstra on 3 December 2004, and was replaced by Solomon Trujillo.[6]
On 6 June 2006, Switkowski was appointed to chair a Commonwealth Government inquiry into the viability of a domestic nuclear power industry.[3]
He was later appointed Chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) by federal Minister for Science Julie Bishop on 4 March 2007. Switkowski was originally appointed to the board of ANSTO on 1 January 2006, but stood down when appointed to the inquiry. After the completion of the inquiry, he was then reappointed to the board as Chairman on 1 March 2007. His term as Chairman concluded at the end of 2010.
The inquiry concluded that Australia is well positioned to increase its production and export of uranium as well as adding nuclear power to its own energy mix.[7] However, an independent panel of Australian scientists and nuclear experts have been critical of these findings,[8] claiming that they relied upon flawed assumptions while dodging important questions such as the disposal of radioactive waste and the potential greenhouse gas implications of increased mining.
On 19 September 2005, Switkowski took a non-executive director role with Suncorp-Metway – his first position after resigning from Telstra.[1][3][6]
In 2006, he was appointed President of the Board of Directors of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image on 1 January – for a three year term.[9][10] He also took non-executive director roles with Healthscope on 19 January, and with Tabcorp Holdings on 2 October.[1][3][10]
In 2011 he has been serving as a director of Rare Earth's miner Lynas Corporation as per [11]
He also currently serves as Chairman or Opera Australia and on the Board of Directors of the Business Council of Australia.[1][3][12]
On 27 October 2010, it was announced that Switkowski would become the Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University). He was officially appointed to the position on 1 January 2011.[13]
Switkowski is married and lives with his wife near Cape Schanck, on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula.[3][14]
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