Former Telstra executive faced legal action after controversial move to Vocus
A former Telstra executive has given undertakings to the court that will restrict his work for rival Vocus after the telecommunications firm sued him over his move to the competitor, according to reports.
John Ieraci, who is now the Managing Director, Business & Digital Infrastructure at Vocus, gave undertakings to the court last week after being sued by Telstra, where he was previously employed for nearly two decades.
In the undertakings, as reported by the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Ieraci pledged that he would not have any involvement in the development of managed services and security products at Vocus until 1 January 2027, and would not provide any services to customers that he worked with at Telstra over the past year until 1 January.
He also promised not to "disclose confidential information belonging to Telstra to any person, including Vocus, unless required by law or agreed by Telstra in writing before disclosure."
"I will not improperly use my position, or information obtained because of my position, as a former officer or employee of Telstra to gain an advantage for myself, Vocus or any other person, or to cause detriment to Telstra, including in connection with my employment with Vocus," he also said, as quoted by the AFR.
"I will not make, cause to be made or be associated with any statement about Telstra, or their employees or directors, that could harm their reputation or business interests, unless required by law."
Controversial jump to Vocus
Ieraci's undertakings to the court come after Telstra commenced legal action in the Federal Court of Australia the day before his first day at Vocus on 1 October.
Ieraci moved to Vocus after nearly two decades with Telstra, where he most recently served as the Head of Telstra Purple. He also held other high-ranking roles at the telecommunications firm, including Executive Director - Defence and Public Sector, Chief Customer Officer - Telstra Enterprise, and Head of Enterprise and Government Vic/Tas - Telstra Enterprise.
He left Telstra in June 2026 and was announced in September to be joining Vocus as Managing Director, Business & Digital Infrastructure, effective 1 October.
Vocus CEO Andrés Irlando said Ieraci will lead the company's business-to-business go-to-market function, including product, marketing, and the various sales organisations.
Ieraci said on LinkedIn that it was an "exciting next chapter ahead."
"I'm thrilled to be joining Vocus at this fantastic point in its growth," he added.
