One NZ reshapes executive team ahead of Judd's rise

One NZ has reshaped its executive team ahead of Nick Judd's move into the Chief Executive Officer role, with two internal promotions and one external appointment.

Kieran Byrne will become Chief Financial Officer, while Sharina Nisha has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer. Sonia Fernandes will join the telecommunications company as Chief People Officer at the end of August.

The changes come as Judd prepares to succeed Jason Paris as head of the business. Byrne's new remit will continue to include the Infrastructure Partners wholesale function as part of his broader portfolio.

Byrne is moving from the Chief Technology Officer role and has previously held senior leadership positions across strategy, transformation and technology. His background spans commercial, financial, strategic and operational work.

Nisha currently serves as General Manager Business Transformation and has more than 30 years of experience in telecommunications technology. At One NZ, she has worked on the company's simplification programme, T-One, the launch of One NZ Satellite and its artificial intelligence implementation.

Fernandes joins from outside the company and brings more than 20 years of experience in people leadership and organisational transformation. Her background spans technology, consulting, media and professional services, with work across New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Europe, the United States and India.

Leadership shift

The executive changes give Judd an updated senior leadership team as he takes over the top job. They reflect a mix of internal succession planning and external recruitment as telecom companies face pressure to manage costs, maintain network investment and adapt to changing customer demand.

Internal appointments can offer continuity during Chief Executive Officer transitions, particularly when companies want to preserve existing strategy while adjusting leadership responsibilities. At One NZ, both Byrne and Nisha are stepping into roles from within the business, while Fernandes brings an external perspective to the people function.

One NZ has placed particular emphasis on the experience of its incoming technology chief. Nisha has been involved in several of the company's larger operational programmes, including efforts to simplify internal systems and roll out new products such as satellite-based services.

Her promotion also marks a shift in the technology organisation, with Byrne moving from that area into finance. That is unusual but not unheard of in large corporates, especially where executives have worked across transformation, operations, commercial planning and technical functions.

Succession plan

The latest appointments follow the earlier announcement that Judd would take over as Chief Executive Officer. Senior management changes during a Chief Executive Officer succession are often closely watched by staff, investors and industry peers because they can indicate whether a company intends to maintain or revise its priorities.

For One NZ, the emphasis appears to be on continuity, with two promotions from within its leadership ranks. At the same time, the hiring of Fernandes suggests the company wants fresh input on workforce and organisational issues as it moves into its next phase.

Incoming One NZ Chief Executive Officer Nick Judd commented on the appointments.

"These appointments demonstrate the continuity in our strategy, while also adding fresh perspectives to our Executive team. Promoting from within reflects the strength of our leadership pipeline, and bringing Sonia into the business adds valuable new experience and thinking," said Nick Judd, Incoming Chief Executive Officer, One NZ.

He also addressed the incoming and promoted executives directly.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming Sonia to One NZ, and seeing Kieran and Sharina step into new roles that are pivotal to the long-term success of our business," Judd said.