Telco Authority Advisory Board
The NSW Telco Authority Advisory Board is established under the Government Telecommunications Act 2018 and consists of ten part-time members made up of independent and government members.
Membership
Mr Shane Fitzsimmons OAM AFSM (Mmgt)
Chair
Current appointment: 27/01/2023 to 14/07/2023
Mr Fitzsimmons was the former Commissioner of Resilience NSW and previously served as the NSW Fire Service Commissioner between 2007 and 2020. Mr Fitzsimmons has more than two decades experience in emergency services, leading the State’s response to the NSW Black Summer Bushfires before becoming head of the first NSW agency responsible for disaster recovery.
Ms Kaaren Koomen AM (BA LLB, LLM, GAICD)
Deputy Chair
Current appointment: 15/07/2020 to 14/07/2023
Kaaren Koomen is an Executive Director with IBM Australia and New Zealand. Ms Koomen has more than 25-years’ experience in leadership and senior executive roles in the private and public sectors.
Ms Kylie De Courteney (BCom)
Managing Director, NSW Telco Authority
Current appointment: exoficio
Ms De Courteney is a senior executive with more than 15 years’ public sector experience with expertise in complex program and policy delivery and organisational transformation. Ms De Courteney is passionate about driving digital transformation and customer-centric service delivery.
Mr Ric Oldham (BEng, Registered Building Practitioner)
Current appointment: 15/07/2020 to 14/07/2023
Mr Oldham has more than four decades experience in the transport, telecommunications and engineering sectors, including managing large public infrastructure projects in Australia and abroad.
Ms Fiona Dewar (BAComms, GradCert Pub Pol)
Current appointment: 30/03/22 to 30/03/25
Ms Dewar is the Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Corporate and Performance, Department of Regional NSW. Ms Dewar has extensive experience in communications and strategic policy across the public and private sectors.
Mr Sam Walker (BAHist, MEcon [IA], CIMA Mgt)
Current appointment: 30/03/22 to 30/03/25
Mr Walker is a senior executive in NSW Treasury, where he has led the State Budget function since 2018. Mr Walker is a public finance specialist and advisor, with extensive experience in complex policy and operational funding matters.
Commissioner Rob Rogers AFSM
Current appointment: 15/07/2020 to 14/07/2023
Commissioner Rob Rogers is the NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner and has
has held various executive roles in the Rural Fire Service since 2001, including responsibility for Regional Management, Community Safety and Operations. Commissioner Rogers played a lead role in overseeing the statewide response to the Black Summer Bushfires in NSW.
Ms Laura Christie PSM BeSocSc (Hons)
Current appointment: 15/02/2023 to 14/02/2026
Ms Christie is the Government Chief Information and Digital Officer and Deputy Secretary, Digital.NSW. Ms Christie has more than 15 years’ experience in senior executive roles across the public sector in customer and digital transformation, risk, strategy performance as well as driving policy and complex change.
Mr Grant Stepa FAICD, FAIE, FGIA, GIA(Cert), BEng
Current appointment: 15/02/2023 to 14/02/2026
Mr Stepa has more than 20 years’ experience in the renewable energy, engineering, Information and Communications Technology and utility sectors. Mr Stepa has held senior executive roles across Australia and the Asia-Pacific which include more than a decade working in telecommunications.