Teresa Corbin

Teresa Corbin is a co-founder and was CEO of ACCAN, Australia's peak body for communications consumers. She has many years of experience working in telecommunications policy both in Australia and internationally. She recently joined Telstra as their Chief Customer Advocate.

Teresa and I talk about

• ·Why she was born in California of Australian parents 
•  The lifelong impact of Domestic violence on a child growing up in the 1960s and 1970s. 
• How the experience of trauma shaped her relationship with her siblings.
•  The influence of her mother, father and Catholicism shaping her as a social justice warrior
• The passion for social justice was strengthened at University and her voluntary work.
• Why she chose to study linguistics and what it taught her
•  Her foray into student politics  and Her most significant achievement as president of the Student representative council.
• How she was part of the establishment of the national union of students 
• Why taking a “hardline” on the introduction of HECS was a mistake. 
• Why the National union students has not lived up to its remit – and why it turned her off politics 
•  How she got the role at CTN (Consumers Telecommunications Network) and why she wanted to work there. 
• The driver for establishing ACCAN Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, 
•  Working with Minister Stephen Conroy 
•  Why not becoming ACCAN’s first CEO was disappointing and an opportunity 
•  Her working relationship with Allan Asher the first CEO of ACCAN.
•  Why it’s important to go to a management coach if you want to lead an organisation particularly if you are working in an NGO.  
• ·Her proudest achievements at ACCAN. Not external but internal to the organisation
• ·Managing community sector politics with its diversity of views  
• Alliances that appreciate difference as well as what you agree on  
• Mobile phone premium services “stop” and who advocated for it 
• How far has ACCAN got in achieving “Available affordable accessible” telecommunications 
• What makes a good mentor and some of hers Johanna Plante, Phillippa Smiths 
• Why Teresa couldn’t afford her own home until her mid 40s
•  Why she became Chief Customer Advocate at Telstra 
• Having a conversation with CEO Telstra Andy Penn about her vision of changing the world and how she can make a difference.
• Telstra created the job for her to do that within Telstra 
• Her role as an independent voice in Telstra, a leader in the market and the first customer advocate in telecommunications in Australia.
• Good people inside corporations and consumer advocates need to influence those people. For example someone like Robert Morsillo and what he was able to achieve in advocating internally for low l income measures. 
• Frustrations of working in a large corporation such as Telstra 
• What does responsible business really mean
• Telstra has been brave and so has she
• Finally its all about the network and Teresa has a great one. Teresa shares her tips on how to build and maintain great relationships 
•  the story of sitting at a financial counselling conference where there were hundreds of attendees when the new assistant treasurer financial services minister Stephen Jones was speaking. Who did he make specific reference to, none other than Teresa Corbin who was sitting in the same audience.
•  why he might have mentioned her in particular and she shares story of how when Stephen Jones was shadow minister for communications, she worked quite hard to inform him of the issues faced by consumers in the regions accessing telecommunications- ACCAN would also write to politicians to provide them with material that their constituents might find useful
• When building coalitions think outside the square- For the 1800 free calls from mobiles campaign ACCAN engaged with business selling 1800 numbers. The numbers are now free for consumers  
• Her advice to young people wanting to follow in her footsteps. The importance of celebrating achievements, longevity and taking on feedback 
• We are all works in progress, show up and make a contribution even if its only a small one. 

If you want to find out more about Teresa you can contact her through linkedin

or drop me a line through the website www.lorettakreet.com.

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