Telecom's Crockett joins APN

Former Telecom Wholesale boss Matt Crockett has joined APN, filling the newly created position of chief development officer.

In this role Mr Crockett - a native Australian, who has spent the past 11 months taking time out, and job hunting - will lead corporate strategy, new business development and "all major new digital initiatives" for the company.

APN's stable includes the NZ Herald, a string of regional newspapers in Australia, and an outdoor advertising business spanning both countries. It also owns The Radio Network (including NewsTalkZB, Classic Hits and Radio Hauraki) and holds a 75% stake in Grabone, the most successful of several dozen group-buying deal sites launched over the past year in New Zealand..

Mr Crockett was most recently chief executive of Telecom Wholesale, plus the company's International Division (now up for sale).

While at Telecom, he was also a director of the Bermuda-incorporated, 50% Telecom-owned Southern Cross Cables Network (his place on the board was taken by Telecom group strategy director Rod Snodgrass).

During his seven years at Telecom, Mr Crockett also held a number of General Manager and strategy roles covering fixed line, mobile and internet businesses. During this time he gained significant experience in digital media including overseeing New Zealand’s largest ISP Xtra, and its key relationships with MSN and later Yahoo!7. 

Before Telecom, he held senior positions at international management consultancy McKinsey and Company where he gained broad industry experience from resource and industrial companies through to e-commerce start-ups. 

Mr Crockett has held several board positions and is currently a director of Auckland-based Orion Health, a global e-health software leader and one of New Zealand’s fastest growing technology companies with revenue of more than $100 million.

Meanwhile, back at Telecom
Mr Crockett left Telecom in April 2010. 

At the time, Nick Clarke was appointed Telecom Wholesale acting chief executive.

Eleven months on, Mr Clarke is still acting head of the division. A full-time replacement is not expected to be named until after Crown Fibre negotiations, and the question of Telecom's possible split, are resolved. [UPDATE: Telecom Wholesale has been folded into Chorus, with Chorus chief executive Mark Ratcliffe in charge of both units.]