Ash Barty loses high-profile Optus job
Ash Barty has lost her job as Optus' Chief of inspiration.
The Grand Slam tennis champion signed on with the telecommunications company as one of their ambassadors in September 2022, just months after announcing her retirement from tennis.
“The decision was taken as we looked to rebuild customer trust and focus on the fundamentals that we know are important to them – a resilient network, great value products and services, and simple, efficient customer service,” an Optus spokesperson told the Australian Financial Review.
The telecommunications giant quietly made the move this year, and also parted ways with ex-F1 star Daniel Ricciardo, who was their Chief of Optimism.
The role included fronting several campaigns for the brand and featuring in viral stunts.
Both stars have updated their LinkedIn accounts to reflect their departure from the jobs.
Barty had the role for two years, while Ricciardo was appointed as the Chief of Optimism in September 2020.
The Australian Financial Review’s Myriam Robin described Optus’ move as a “one-two kick in the guts for Daniel”, who was cut by Red Bull’s junior team VCARB earlier this year.
Optus' move away from Barty and Ricciardo comes after the company's former chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin was replaced by Stephen Rue in September.
While Barty lost her job at the telecommunications company, she is still listed as the Women's Tennis Association's National Indigenous Tennis Ambassador on LinkedIn.
Since her retirement from tennis at the peak of her career, she has worked as a commentator for Stan during the Paris Olympics, released a series of children's books as part of her Little Ash series, and a tennis-themed book for kids called Tennis Camp Diaries.
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