Telstra CEO Gets A$6.1M Pay Packet Despite Revenue Decline
Synopsis
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady’s pay climbed 11% even as the telecom giant’s annual revenue declined to $22.94 billion.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady's salary increased by around 11 per cent for the year to June 30, 2026, with a decrease of six hundred and seven thousand dollars in Vicki's bonus from the board of directors after the network outage nationwide in July.
For the past year, Brady's earnings amounted to $6.1 million. The company also cut bonuses for other senior executives, total executive compensation falling by $1.3 million.
Almost half of Telstra's calls and data services were disrupted during the peak of the incident. Over thirty thousand clients had filed complaints, and almost a million dollars was paid by the company as compensation to the affected customers, according to Brady.
Revenue Falls as Mobile Income Rises
Telstra's net profit for shareholders increased by 3.2 per cent, amounting to around $2.24 billion and revenue excluding finance income dropped 0.8% to $22.94 billion in its latest financial records.
An increase of 3.2 per cent in mobile revenue was reported by the company, amounting to 11.37 billion dollars. Telstra's mobile services reached 26 million subscriptions as of the end of the fiscal year, with about a million more connections added in FY26.
In addition, there was a shift in the customer base during the year in Telstra's transition from branded postpaid, prepaid, and wholesale plans. Postpaid services dropped by seven thousand, while prepaid dropped by forty-six thousand and wholesale by two hundred and thirty-five thousand.
In addition, the company's staff decreased by 1,219, reaching 29,334 employees. Telstra purchased back $1.25 billion worth of shares and made an additional $1 billion shares announcement.
Telstra Holds Major Share of Mobile Market
Telstra, including its sub-brands, possessed forty-one percent of retail mobile services in Australia as of June 2025, according to the latest Communications Market Report 2024-25 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Twenty-nine percent was owned by Optus and seventeen percent by TPG Telecom, while mobile virtual network operators had thirteen percent. Consequently, the three major network operators controlled eighty-seven percent of Australia's mobile market.
Telstra's remuneration disclosure shows that Brady's fixed salary was raised from $2.394 million to $2.5 million from October 2025.
A software upgrade fault in an essential timing system caused the outage, which occurred in July. Telstra's investigation into the matter continues, with an external examination commencing soon.
As revenue declined, profits rose, the employee base shrank, and mobile income grew during the fiscal period, Telstra's CEO, Vicki Brady, witnessed an increase in her income.
Source: AFR
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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