Optus CEO's salary and lavish life: Why Australians may not feel too sorry for Kelly Bayer Rosmarin - as she resigns as telco boss

Kelly Bayer Rosmarin may have stepped down as Optus CEO after a disastrous network outage - but many would still envy the businesswoman for her lavish life.

Ms Bayer Rosmarin, 46, announced on Monday it was an 'appropriate time to step down' following a nationwide Optus outage on November 8.

For the high-powered CEO - who lives in an award-winning $15million mansion and is believed to earn more than $5million-per-year - it was a sudden change in her career trajectory, which until now has only gone one way: up. 

'On Friday I had the opportunity to appear before the Senate to expand on the cause of the network outage and how Optus recovered and responded,' she said in a statement.

'Having now had time for some personal reflection, I have come to the decision that my resignation is in the best interest of Optus going forward.

'It's been an honour and privilege to lead the team at Optus and serve our customers. I wish everyone and the company every success in the future.' 

She had been at the helm of the telco since April, 2020.

Before that, Ms Bayer Rosmarin was the Group Executive of Institutional Banking and Markets - a very senior role - at Commonwealth Bank.

When she left the bank in March, 2018, Ms Bayer Rosmarin was reportedly on a salary of $5.15million. She reportedly received a $966,000 termination payment. 

She joined Optus as deputy CEO on March 1, 2019 and exactly one year and one month later became its chief executive. The company's annual reports are vague as to how much she precisely earned. 

By comparison, when the Telstra CEO, Vicki Brady, was appointed in September last year she was on a fixed salary of reportedly just under $2.4million. 

However, Ms Brady has the capacity to earn up to $7million a year with bonuses - which is standard for senior executives. 

Ms Bayer Rosmarin also lives in a sprawling mansion in one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs.

Her home has four bedrooms, a three-car garage where a Tesla is parked and stunning harbour views.

On the day Optus suffered a nationwide outage that left up to 10 million customers without internet access and unable to receive calls and texts, an elaborate photoshoot was taking place at the CEO's home.

A fleet of vehicles brought in luxury items like throws, shrubbery and furniture.

Even the CEO's husband, Rodney, admitted that the photo session - staged for the architect who renovated the home - was 'unfortunate timing'. 

Mr Rosmarin told Daily Mail Australia at the time: 'They just hadn't got round to photographing it yet and it was being done today.

'It was just unfortunate timing.'

He admitted the network crash had been 'hell' for his wife, and added: 'Unfortunately, that's the problem with big organisations and modern technology.'

Ms Bayer Rosmarin was not seen during the photoshoot, which commenced several hours after Optus went down across the country.

Mr Rosmarin is also a former Commonwealth Bank executive.

The high-powered couple have two daughters and a pet dog, an Italian greyhound named Vespa. 

Her family moved into her home in May 2021 after selling a smaller, more modern home nearby for $7.75million. 

They also sold their second home, a sprawling 1915 Rose Manor in Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands for $4million in August last year after a $400,000 renovation.   

Daily Mail Australia recently revealed that a 5G tower had been set up directly outside her home about 18 months after she purchased the property.

The Optus Small Cell transmitter was installed on a power pole on the street where Ms Bayer Rosmarin lives in late 2022. Optus said it was set up as part of a program to fix local blackspots.

One local Optus user said despite the lavish homes lining the streets, the area had always been a signal blackspot.

That is, until Ms Bayer Rosmarin, and her husband purchased the property.

When Daily Mail Australia asked Optus if the CEO played any role in the tower being built outside her home, a spokesperson said the unit was part of a two-year plan to 'enhance' coverage across Sydney's eastern suburbs.

The spokesperson added the telco was committed to identifying coverage challenges across Australia.

'This effort involves optimising existing sites and establishing new ones to ensure a heightened level of network performance and coverage in the region.'

Ms Bayer Rosmarin's next career steps are unclear.