Telstra shops on alert as Milne departs BigPond
News that Justin Milne (left), the BigPond chief charged with driving Telstra’s media expansion and broadband content delivery, has quit, might have ramifications for Telstra’s roster agencies, in particular BWM, which has had close ties with Milne via BWM partner Rob Belgiovane for nearly 20 years.
Belgiovane and Milne were partners in pioneering new media company Globe Media Developments, in the mid nineties and their business relationship continued later when Milne joined Ozemail as CEO in 1999 (BWM was then appointed to the Ozemail business) and then when Milne joined Telstra to head up their broadband business in late 2002, resulting in the appointment of BWM on the Telstra roster in January 2003. BWM now has the lion’s share of Telstra, ahead of Ogilvy. Recently, Telstra has handed smaller projects to Droga5 and Three Drunk Monkeys.
5 Comments
Obviously had enough of the Telstra execs.
Mark – I could not have put it better myself. Working on that account was truly soul-destroying. I cannot imagine what it must be like to work there as an employee. Though, I guess you don’t need to spend time in a Turkish prison to know it would be awful…
The lack of comment on this post indicates that this news is very boring. Like Telstra, like its advertising, yadayadayada.
hear hear Mark and Simon.
they are the worst client on earth.
they deserve everything thing they get.
Simon – you are right – working at Telstra is soul destroying. It’s like a prison camp – anyone who can get out does and is looked on enviously by those remaining.
Key SMG execs are nightmares to work for and don’t mention the supposedly non-compulsory dancing!!!! Watch out on You Tube soon for a video!
The whole atmosphere is one of fear.