Spark announces two additions to leadership squad

Spark New Zealand Limited
ARBN 050 611 277 Spark City, 167 Victoria Street West, Private Bag 92028, Auckland, New Zealand


MARKET RELEASE
2 July 2018

Spark New Zealand announces two additions to leadership
squad
Spark New Zealand has announced today two additions to its leadership squad as
the company commences its Agile way of working:
• Matt Bain will be joining Spark in November 2018 as Marketing Director, a new
role which Spark announced back in March it would be looking to recruit for; and
• Melissa Anastasiou, Spark’s General Counsel, has been promoted to the
Leadership Squad with immediate effect
Managing Director Simon Moutter said the company had set out an ambitious brief
for the Marketing Director position: to find a New Zealander with high-quality
international experience and proven creative talent and expertise in digital and social
media marketing.
“We have found that person in Matt Bain. Matt is currently European Managing
Director for AKQA – one of world’s leading innovation and brand experience
agencies, with responsibility for 500+ employees across five countries. He has built
an impeccable international reputation with some of the world’s greatest brands -
Nike, Heineken, Mini, Rolls Royce, Siemens, EASports, Audi, Phillips, Tommy Hilfiger
and KLM amongst others.
“In this new role, Matt will bring his outstanding digital marketing and customer
experience skills right into the centre of our thinking and actions.”
A New Zealander, Matt will be returning home with his family later this year, starting
at Spark in November 2018.
Effective immediately, Melissa Anastasiou has also joined the Leadership Squad. She
has been with the company since 2009 and, as General Counsel, has been member
of Spark’s wider leadership team for some time.
“More recently, Melissa has taken on a broader role through her work on Spark’s
culture and Diversity & Inclusion programmes, as well as involvement in a range of
strategic initiatives. I feel it is timely to acknowledge her talents by bringing Melissa
onto the Leadership Squad,” Mr Moutter commented.
As Spark moves into the exciting new world of Agile from this week, the full
Leadership Squad line-up is as follows:
Managing Director Simon Moutter
Customer Director Jolie Hodson
Finance Director (CFO) David Chalmers
General Counsel Melissa Anastasiou

Spark New Zealand Limited
ARBN 050 611 277 Spark City, 167 Victoria Street West, Private Bag 92028, Auckland, New Zealand


HR Director Joe McCollum
Marketing Director Matt Bain (fr om November 2018)
Product Director Claire Barber
Technology Director Mark Beder
As their titles indicate, each leadership squad member will bring specific knowledge,
insights and perspectives to the top table.
The Agile model moves away from a traditional hierarchical organisational structure
based around large business units and instead involves self-managing teams, each
with clear accountabilities, who collaborate quickly and effectively with one another
to deliver great products and services for customers. In this model, business leaders
act as catalysts, showing direction and setting up the systems for people to do their
jobs effectively.
From this week, approximately 40% of Spark’s people who work in the ‘engine room’
(the core functions such as network, IT, product development and segment
marketing) are forming into Agile teams.
“We recognised from the outset that Agile may not suit everyone, so we gave our
people working in these areas the option of applying for one of these new Agile
roles, seeking redeployment into another part of Spark, or opting for redundancy,”
Mr Moutter said.
“As at the end of last week, more than 96% of our people offered Agile roles have
accepted them and we are continuing to engage with the few remaining people to
resolve any uncertainties they may have. We’ve worked extremely hard over the
past six months to inform and engage our people about Agile, so we’re delighted
that the overwhelming majority are looking enthusiastically to this new way of
working.”

-ENDS-

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