Phil Sykes - Managing Director
As Managing Director, Phil has overall accountability for the strategic direction, business performance and customer satisfaction at Nextgen Networks. Phil has had an extensive career in CEO and senior management roles in the Telecommunications industry. Prior to joining Nextgen, Phil was Managing Director of IProvide, where he led a team of sales, marketing, customer service and engineering professionals delivering a range of advanced IP services to Australian small and medium businesses via an extensive network of systems integrator and dealer channels.
His prior roles included CEO of Request Broadband, where he led the creation and development of Request Broadband from start up in 2000 through to successful sale in 2004. In that time, he and the team built Request into a major force in the provision of broadband IP services to Australian businesses.
Phil’s earlier career included leading Telstra’s Internet Program where he and his team designed, deployed and operated most of Telstra’s major Internet, e-commerce and e-self service infrastructure including the Big Pond range of services. He was responsible for leading the team that designed and deployed Australia’s first commercially available, broadband Internet service via Telstra’s HFC cable network – Big Pond Cable.
Phil holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering from the South Australian Institute of Technology.
Neil Verrall
- Director of Corporate & Government Sales
Neil is responsible for the strategic direction and management of sales to the corporate and government sector.
Neil brings to the role a depth of industry experience and a track record of delivering results. This experience has been developed over 25 years working in large Tier 1 and smaller Tier 2 Telco's, predominantly in Marketing and Sales in both the Corporate and Wholesale markets.
Neil held Senior Sales and Marketing roles in Telstra, leaving there in 2000 to work with Publicly Listed Telco's. Neil was Director of Sales and Marketing at Powertel from 2000-2002. Director of Sales at Uecomm 2002-2009.
Prior to joining Nextgen, he was engaged by Pipe Networks to provide strategic sales consultancy to their corporate sales team.
Neil holds a Bachelor of Arts (Adel) and a post graduate management degree B Soc Admin (Flinders).
Raj Jayawardena - Director, Carrier Business
Rajiv is responsible for the strategic direction and management of Nextgen's business with the Carrier and Internet Service Provider segment.
His telecommunications career began in the Interconnect and Regulatory team at Optus in 1997. He concluded his tenure at Optus as the Carrier Relations Manager in their Wholesale division, where he had carriage of the commercial and contractual relationships with all interconnected carriers.
Rajiv then took up the position of Carrier Relations Manager at PowerTel. From there he expanded his responsibilities to take on carriage of Regulatory and Government Affairs. He finished his career at PowerTel as the General Manager of Strategy and Regulatory Affairs.
He has held Board positions on a number of industry organisations including the Competitive Carriers’ Coalition and the Communications Alliance.
Rajiv is a graduate of the University of Auckland, NZ in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Michael Ackland - Strategic Development Manager
Michael’s role encompasses the development of new strategic business relationships and partnership initiatives, including a key leadership role in the setting of company strategy.
Michael has over 15 years of experience in the IT&T and Power industries and has been a member of the Leighton telecommunications group since January 2006. His experience includes sales & marketing consulting - specialising in technology product channel development, sales management, start-ups & venture funding, telecommunications regulation and contracts.
Prior to joining Leighton Michael was Strategic Development manger at Silk Telecom having spent the previous 5 years at Chong Kong/HEIs Powercor-CitiPower on the senior management team developing their telecommunications business.
Peter Harrison - Director of Services – Regional Backbone Blackspots Program (RBBP)
Peter is responsible for the delivery and commercialisation of Nextgen’s Regional Backbone Blackspots Program (RBBP).
Much of his career has been with Telstra, initially as an engineer, where his early roles included development of national telecommunication networks across the country. Peter has held various senior management roles that encompass product management, business strategy and commercial operations during his time with the company. One of his most challenging roles was as MD of the Customer Premises Equipment business in which he undertook a major profit turnaround.
More recently Peter has also held the position of GM of Reef Networks, a privately owned optical fibre network in north Queensland, and various senior roles within the Leighton Contractors telecommunications group.
Peter brings a rich depth of expertise to Nextgen from his more than 27 years telecommunications experience.
Peter has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Honours) in Electrical Engineering from Monash University.
Duncan Wallace - Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer, Duncan Wallace is responsible for leading and managing the Engineering and Customer Operations functions.
Duncan has a strong background in the IT, Telecommunications and Communications industries.
Prior to joining Nextgen, Duncan was General Manager of Nextep Broadband, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Australia. Duncan led the company during 12% sales growth through the last two financial years, and has overseen the cultural shift that has led to a more customer-focused business. In other roles he has overseen operational mergers, and implemented telecommunications platforms and business restructures.
Throughout his career, Duncan has been responsible for driving targeted strategies and challenging projects in managed services, operations management, customer service, sales and product development – both locally and across the Asia Pacific.
Duncan has a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Melbourne, and Graduate Diplomas in Engineering, Business and Applied Finance.
Garry McCarten - Head of Marketing
As Head of Marketing, Garry is responsible for the Nextgen’s market facing strategy, marketing operations and product development.
Garry brings to Nextgen a breadth of successful business experience in senior management roles within technology and telecommunications companies. Initially qualified as a telecommunications engineer, he began his career with some 15 years in a variety of roles in Telstra.
While in Philips Australia, he was responsible for winning and operating the business of prime vendor and systems integrator for the county’s largest national cable TV broadband network for Telstra. He also established and operated an Australian based international product center for Philips’ international broadband group.
His senior roles have also included General Manager – Sales & Marketing for Request Broadband, as well as management roles in other local IT&T companies.
Garry has a breadth of Market training throughout his career including an accelerated MBA course at INSEAD University in France, and engineering qualifications of a Diploma of Electronics Engineering and Post Graduate Diploma of Digital Control.
Theo Morros - Chief Financial Officer
Theo Morros is responsible for leading the finance and commercial functions at Nextgen. Theo has a proven record of developing and restructuring processes and driving cost management and profit improvement programs.
Theo possess strong leadership and management skills, is highly motivated and creates a climate in which people want to do their best. His approach is a hands-on style in the proactive management of financial and commercial issues.
Theo brings to Nextgen extensive experience within manufacturing, sales and distribution, logistic, and engineering businesses with companies such as Qantas, Atlas Speciality Metals, Delacamp Australia and Visy Industries.
Theo is a CPA and has a Bachelor of Economics and SAP Consultant Certificate.
Glenn Law - Program Manager
As Program Manager, Glenn Law is responsible for Nextgen’s IT development and major projects.
A highly qualified and experienced senior program manager, Glen Law has extensive operational, project and business development experience in the Information Technology, Telecommunications and Defence industries with leading national and global organisations including Optus/Uecomm, Telstra, Alcatel-Lucent, Hewlett Packard and UK Royal Air Force.
Glenn posseses strong project delivery and technical background with particular expertise in leading major systems integration projects with budgets in excess of AUD $50M within a regional context. Results focused with a reputation for achieving outstanding results through the use of sound business, project management and systems engineering practices. Over 20 years experience covering both systems integrator and carrier type roles.
Glenn has a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma in Management and a Graduate Diploma in Military Aviation.