One New Zealand names CFO, CTO in executive succession

One New Zealand has appointed Kieran Byrne as Chief Financial Officer and Sharina Nisha as Chief Technology Officer, completing most of its executive succession plan after Chief Executive Officer Jason Paris decided to leave.

Byrne will move from Chief Technology Officer into finance on 31 August, while Nisha will take over the technology role in September. Current Chief Financial Officer Nick Judd will also step up to Chief Executive Officer as the business reshapes its senior leadership team.

The appointments mean One New Zealand has filled three of its most senior roles from within, reflecting the depth of leadership in the business as it prepares for Paris's departure after nearly eight years in charge.

Paris joined Vodafone New Zealand as Chief Executive Officer in 2018 and led the company through a period of major ownership and brand change. His tenure included the split from Vodafone Group ownership, the acquisition by Infratil and Brookfield, the later move to full Infratil ownership, and the rebrand to One New Zealand.

He also oversaw the launch of the company's satellite-to-mobile service, one of the more visible network initiatives in recent years in the New Zealand telecommunications market.

Finance move

Byrne's shift to Chief Financial Officer marks an uncommon route into the top finance job. Most recently, as Chief Technology Officer, he oversaw One New Zealand's mobile and fixed networks, cybersecurity, IT operations and wholesale business.

Before that promotion, he spent about three years leading Technology Commercial Operations and later served as General Manager, Strategy and Transformation. Those roles gave him responsibility for budgets, investment priorities, commercial contracts and operating performance, alongside his technology remit.

Earlier in his career, Byrne spent seven years at Bain & Company, focusing on telecommunications consulting across Australasia, Asia and Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Canterbury and an MBA from London Business School, and became a director of the Rural Connectivity Group in 2023.

He will take up the finance role at the end of August. The company said Byrne brings "a unique combination of commercial, financial, strategic and operational experience developed through leadership roles across Strategy, Technology and Transformation".

Technology veteran

Nisha is a long-serving executive and one of the company's most established network leaders. A company profile published in 2020 said she had already spent more than 25 years at Vodafone New Zealand, and this latest move takes her experience to more than 30 years in telecommunications.

Her earlier senior roles included Head of Platforms, Head of Networks and General Manager, Network Services. Those positions covered mobile and fixed-network strategy, international connectivity, infrastructure, cloud systems and network operations.

Nisha has been involved in several of the company's major network programmes in recent years, including Vodafone New Zealand's early 5G deployment and testing, rural mobile coverage projects through the Rural Connectivity Group, Wi-Fi Calling, voice-core modernisation, One New Zealand's Starlink Direct to Cell satellite messaging rollout, and more recent AI projects aimed at network and customer operations.

More recently, she was identified as General Manager of Transformation, leading technology-related AI work. Her promotion to Chief Technology Officer brings together her long-standing network background and her more recent transformation role.

She will step into the post in September. The company said: "With more than 30 years' telco experience, Sharina has led many of our important technology initiatives. She is also widely recognised across Aotearoa's technology sector for her leadership and contribution to developing future talent."

Internal succession

The wider reshuffle also places Judd at the top of the business after a relatively short period with the company. He joined One New Zealand as Chief Financial Officer in early 2024 after three years as Chief Financial Officer at Tourism Holdings.

Before that, Judd spent more than 15 years at Air New Zealand in roles spanning strategy, sales, commercial growth and network planning in New Zealand and overseas. He eventually became Chief Strategy, Networks and Alliances Officer, with responsibility for route economics, partnerships and long-term planning.

The board has described him as bringing experience across strategy, operations, sales, commercial management and finance. His rise means he will take the top role after roughly two and a half years at One New Zealand, making him an internal successor rather than an external hire from the telecommunications sector.

One New Zealand is also continuing its search for a new Chief People Officer. It said it was making good progress and expected to share more in the coming weeks.