Spark New Zealand Appoints Vince Hawksworth as Chair and Tommy Björkberg as Chief Operating Officer

Shwetambri Chauhan

09 November 2026 03:33 PM AEDT

Spark New Zealand Appoints Vince Hawksworth as Chair and Tommy Björkberg as Chief Operating Officer

Image Source: Krish Capital Pty Ltd

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Spark New Zealand (ASX:SPK) has officially welcomed Vince Hawksworth as Chair and announced Tommy Björkberg as incoming Chief Operating Officer, according to a November 2026 shareholder newsletter, while reporting early progress against its five-year SPK-30 strategy in the first three months of FY27.

Key Points

Vince Hawksworth officially became Chair at the 2026 Annual Shareholder's Meeting on 6 November, succeeding Justine Smyth who retired after 15 years on the Board, including seven years as Chair.
Tommy Björkberg will join Spark as Chief Operating Officer in November 2026, with responsibility for network operations, business technology services, and cyber security.
FY27 guidance remains unchanged, as confirmed at the Annual Shareholder's Meeting.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max acquisition volumes were up 40% year-on-year during the recent launch period.
Spark is conducting a review of its Digital Services businesses — covering cloud, IT services, data, and AI — to determine ownership and operating structure.

Board Appointment of Vince Hawksworth as Chair

Vince Hawksworth was officially appointed Chair of Spark at the company's 2026 Annual Shareholder's Meeting on 6 November. He succeeds Justine Smyth, who retired after 15 years on the Spark Board, including seven years as Chair, during a period that included the transformation of Telecom into Spark. Hawksworth brings extensive experience leading critical infrastructure businesses in New Zealand and Australia. According to the filing, Hawksworth stated his approach as Chair would be grounded in clarity, focus, and consistent execution, with priorities including effective oversight, supporting and challenging management, and disciplined decisions on behalf of shareholders.

Appointment of Tommy Björkberg as Chief Operating Officer

Tommy Björkberg will join Spark as Chief Operating Officer in November 2026, with responsibility for network operations, business technology services, and cyber security. Björkberg brings more than 25 years of international telecommunications and technology leadership experience across mobile and fixed networks, cloud, and digital infrastructure. He joins Spark from KPN, the Netherlands' largest telecommunications provider, where he served as Vice President Network and Cloud. He has also held senior roles at Telefónica UK (O2), Ericsson, and ZTE, working across Europe and Asia on large-scale network transformation and the application of AI and automation.

SPK-30 Strategy Progress and Digital Services Review

The filing reports that Spark's first three months of FY27 have seen mobile service revenue described as strong following a return to growth in FY26, with total iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max acquisition volumes up 40% year-on-year. Spark stated it is reviewing the future of its Digital Services businesses — spanning cloud, IT services, data, and AI — to determine the ownership and operating structure most likely to support growth. The filing also notes that One NZ and 2degrees have proposed combining radio access network infrastructure in a jointly owned wholesale business, subject to Commerce Commission and Overseas Investment Office approvals.

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