Microsoft’s Australian head, Steve Worrall, is leaving the company to lead Telstra’s InfraCo division, effective September 1, 2025. This move comes as key local tech leaders focus on onshoring their operations following Donald Trump’s criticism of diversity initiatives. Worrall, an electrical engineer by background, will replace retiring Telstra InfraCo chief Brendon Riley. During his tenure at Microsoft, the company achieved significant commercial successes, including a nationwide trial of its Copilot AI large language model with the Australian Public Service (APS). This trial was notably celebrated by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in San Francisco in 2023. Microsoft remains the backbone of the APS’s productivity applications, with most agencies standardizing on Microsoft’s Teams, Office apps, Azure cloud services, and related middleware and database solutions. “Steven’s approach to partnerships, such as Microsoft’s $5 billion investment in Australian cloud computing and AI infrastructure, aligns well with our ambitions for Telstra InfraCo,” said Telstra Group CEO Vicky Brady. Worrall previously led over 3,000 people supporting 10,000 partners and software vendors on Microsoft’s platform in Australia and New Zealand. Before joining Microsoft, he had a long career at IBM, including senior roles in its Software Services group for Asia Pacific and international growth markets, as well as heading its global WebSphere software business. The appointment highlights the value of corporate memory, as seen in other IBM alumni like David Thodey, who led Telstra’s enterprise division and later conducted pivotal reviews of the public service. WebSphere, the enterprise transactional product Worrall previously led, has been instrumental in major government projects, including Treasury’s Standard Business Reporting initiative and the Australian Border Force’s Integrated Cargo System. Worrall’s experience and understanding of the industry’s shifting landscape, particularly regarding cloud sovereignty and onshoring, position him well for his new role at Telstra InfraCo.
