Optus appoints ex-NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian to executive team

Feb 11 (Reuters) - The Australian unit of telecom firm Singapore Telecommunications said on Friday it had appointed Gladys Berejiklian, the former premier of New South Wales (NSW) state, to its executive team.

Berejiklian, who served as NSW premier between 2017 and 2021, will take up the newly created role of managing director, enterprise, business and institutional, Optus said, as the wireless carrier looks to gain market share in the country.

"I believe she will be a game-changer for Optus," Chief Executive Officer Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said in a statement.

The appointment marks Berejiklian's first major role since her shock resignation last October as the head of Australia's biggest state amid a corruption probe.

Before her departure from public office, Berejiklian was a figurehead of Australia's COVID-19 response, who fronted the media almost daily to announce COVID-19 infection rates, deaths and restrictions on activities in NSW.

She also previously held senior executive roles at the country's largest lender, Commonwealth Bank of Australia .

(Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)