Computerworld

Rural broadband provider head joins Vodafone

Farmside's Tony Baird to take up executive Vodafone role

Tony Baird, chief executive of rural broadband provider Farmside, has resigned to take up the role of head of networks and operations at Vodafone.

In the interim, Farmside Board chairman Richie Smith will assume the role of acting chief executive.

“Under Tony’s guidance Farmside has grown over 700 percent with a customer base of over 11,000 rural and urban New Zealanders," Smith says in a statement announcing Baird's departure.

“He has been responsible for developing a strong government and corporate channel alongside the very successful remote rural schools satellite broadband trial.

“During the last three years Tony has lead a successful rebrand of the company and launched a new product suite under the positioning ‘connecting rural New Zealand’. Farmside’s product portfolio has expanded considerably to now provide a full telecommunications service to rural New Zealand," Smith says.

Baird leaves Farmside on June 30.