I have only once shaken his hand. Sol Trujillo stated that a harmonious Telstra board was imperative for implementing the ambitious transformation plan the company is pursuing. Telstra shareholders have the right to be concerned about what impact a combative and abrasive director like Mr Cousins would have during the implementation of the transformation plan. Let us be clear: Mr Cousins’s only experience in telecommunications companies—not TV companies or ad agencies—is to lose $4 billion of investors’ money on their behalf.