Datacom says Bailey-Lord’s sector experience includes more than 15 years with IBM where she helped the global company transform its local presence from a hardware business into a professional services company in Australia.

Her executive experience spanned diverse sectors in Australia and Asia, including Managing Director of PMP’s media solutions division, marketing and strategy director for Phillips Fox Lawyers (now DLA Piper) and group general manager for ANZ’s global shared services – all involving significant transformational change.

Datacom says Bailey-Lord brings to the company extensive experience and interest in innovation anchored in bringing together people and technology to solve real business challenges.

Datacom board chair Tony Carter says in addition to Kathleen Bailey-Lord’s extensive board and sector experience, she has a keen focus on areas that are very important to Datacom.

“Kathleen’s keen interest in disruptive innovation and the technology industry is an excellent fit with Datacom. We’re also very excited to be joined by someone of her calibre with a strong commitment to life-long learning, experience in talent attraction and retention, and passionate support of gender equity and diversity, particularly in the inclusion and development of First Nations people with new roles and opportunities.”

Bailey-Lord currently serves on the board of Alinta Energy, QBE Insurance (Auspac), Melbourne Water, Monash College and Janison, and is a member of the technology and innovation advisory panel for the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

“My focus is always strongly customer-centric. Across my executive leadership and board roles, in banking, professional services, insurance, education and utilities, evidenced time and again was the ability of digital solutions to transform customer experiences and the way products and services are delivered to create value for all stakeholders,” says Bailey-Lord.

“Datacom is part of this transformational journey with many respected and trusted brands across Australia and New Zealand. It is exciting to be joining the board of a company that plays an active role in these successes, working with customers to identify new ways for businesses to thrive in what is a complex and rapidly evolving landscape.”

Bailey-Lord ‘s previous board memberships include the Bank of Queensland, Australian Government Solicitor, Trinity College and the University of Sydney’s transformation board.

Bailey-Lord is also a member of Chief Executive Women, an organisation bringing together business leaders to enable gender equality, and Global Women Leaders Strategic Philanthropy, a global community of collaborative philanthropy.