Former Telstra CEO, CSIRO Chair & Tech Leadership Authority
David Thodey AO is one of the most respected business leaders Australia has produced — a former CEO who transformed Telstra from a company with one of the worst customer service reputations in the country into an organisation genuinely focused on putting customers first, and who subsequently served as Chair of CSIRO during one of the most significant periods in the organisation's history.
During his tenure as CEO of Telstra from 2009 to 2015, David led one of the largest cultural and operational transformations in Australian corporate history — moving a 35,000-person organisation away from a culture of internal focus and bureaucratic inertia toward one of genuine customer centricity. The results were measurable: customer satisfaction improved dramatically, employee engagement rose significantly, and Telstra's financial performance reflected the benefits of an organisation that had fundamentally changed how it operated.
As Chair of CSIRO, David oversaw the commercialisation of Australian research and the positioning of the organisation as a genuine partner for industry in navigating the technology transitions of the 2020s. He has served on multiple public and private boards, advised governments on technology and innovation policy, and is one of the most sought-after voices in Australia on the intersection of leadership, large-scale transformation and the role of technology in shaping Australia's future.
David Thodey AO is a keynote speaker based in New South Wales who speaks on artificial intelligence, business strategy and innovation. Book through Executive Speakers Australia.
In conversation, David brings clarity to complex issues and keeps the discussion anchored in real organisational decisions. With an experienced facilitator guiding the flow, the session can be tailored to the room and to current priorities, making it highly relevant for leadership events, executive offsites, client forums and industry conferences.
Recommended format:
- 30 to 60 minutes in conversation, followed by optional audience Q&A
- Tailored by sector and event objectives
Themes David can speak to:
- Leadership, change management and disruption
- Strategy, governance, risk and decision-making under pressure
- The Australian business landscape and shifting stakeholder expectations
- Emerging technologies and what they change in competition, execution and governance
- Service transformation and digital service delivery at scale
David’s Keynotes are designed for audiences navigating real-world change, shifting expectations, and competing priorities. He brings a clear, boardroom-level lens to the decisions leaders face, linking strategy, execution, and the implications of new technologies in a way that is practical and relevant.
Common areas of focus include:
- Leading through disruption and uncertainty, staying clear on priorities when trade-offs are unavoidable
- Change management that lands, alignment, accountability and momentum through transformation
- Strategy to execution, turning intent into practical focus and sustained delivery
- Governance, risk and trust, improving decision quality when the stakes are high
- Customer and stakeholder expectations, lifting performance by focusing on external outcomes
- Innovation at scale, building focus, discipline and follow-through
- Emerging technologies, what they change in competition, operating models, governance and customer expectations
- Service transformation and digital service delivery at scale
Tell us about your event and our consultants will return a curated shortlist within one business day.
