(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Australian telecommunications carrier Macquarie Telecom (www.macquarietelecom.com) announced on Wednesday it has made two new appointments to its hosting management team.
Brian Sharpe has been named general manager for government hosting and security and David Hirst been appointed as commercial manager of hosting.
Sharpe succeeds Olaf Moon who has moved into the new role of general manager of hosting account management, while Hirst takes on a newly created position.
The appointments reflect Macquarie Telecom’s focus on its growth strategy to address the increasing adoption of hosting services, says the company.
The company recently invested in a new data network in Tasmania involving the construction of a seven kilometer fiber optic link between Aurora Energy’s Cambridge data center and Midway Point.
The company’s data and hosting business has seen continued success, increasing revenue by 18 percent to $95.5 million in the last financial year, ended June 30, 2009.
Sharpe will be based in Canberra and brings more than 30 years’ IT experience to Macquarie Telecom. He has previously served in the areas of application software development and emerging technology and high technology strategy.
His most recent role was at IT and business process services firm CGI Australia. In this role, he managed the company’s federal government and defence businesses, valued at more than $2.5 million in sales revenue a year.
“Brian Sharpe has a long track record in managing successful IT relationships with multiple levels of the Australian government,” says Aidan Tudehope, managing director of hosting at Macquarie Telecom. “He is recognized among the public sector IT community as a leading commentator and strategist which will benefit our own approach to grow our dedicated hosting footprint in the public sector.
Hirst leads business productivity for Sydney-based Macquarie Hosting, where he will manage customer and business needs to support the delivery of relevant and timely services to hosting customers.
He has a wide range of experience in e-commerce and business development, including roles at Foxtel, Telstra, Nine Network Australia and News Ltd.
“David Hirst has a wealth of expertise having worked in some of Australia’s leading media and telecommunications companies,” says Tudehope. “He understands the evolving nature and increasing relevance of the online channel to business strategy. We look forward to drawing on his knowledge to support our continued growth in these markets.”
