2degrees names its first Kiwi boss

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

2degrees has named its first Kiwi chief executive.

Whanganui-born Mark Aue, 45, will replace Scotsman Stewart Sherriff who is retiring.

Aue has been working as the company's chief financial officer since July but has spent much of his career with Vodafone, including as its New Zealand chief financial officer.

Sherriff originally stepped in as chief executive temporarily in 2013 to replace American-born boss Eric Hertz after he was killed along with his wife, Kathy, in a light plane crash off the Raglan coast.

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2degrees chairman Brad Horwitz said Aue had been chosen following an international search that 'attracted a high calibre of applicants'.

Aue said in a statement that leading 2degrees was a unique opportunity.

'Few companies have made as much impact on the everyday lives of Kiwis as 2degrees.

'From a distance, I have watched the company grow from strength to strength … through its disruptive innovation and an unrelenting belief in 'fighting for fair' for all New Zealanders.'

2degrees faces fall-out from new restrictions being placed on key supplier Huawei.

The change comes as 2degrees faces possible challenges as a result of the treatment being accorded to key technology supplier, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, and after a slide in the sharemarket value of its majority owner, Trilogy International Partners.

A proposal by Spark that would have seen Huawei help it upgrade its own mobile network to 5G technology was blocked by the Government Communications Security Bureau in December.

2degrees chief technology officer Mike Davies has said 2degrees could face 'significant' costs if it meets similar obstacles.

Aue will take up his new role once a replacement for him as CFO is appointed.