Telus Corporation has appointed longtime finance leader Gopi Chande as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective July 6, 2026.
The internal promotion aims to provide continuity during a broader sector-wide transformation.
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The move comes as Telus pushes to expand its artificial intelligence and healthcare services internationally, particularly in the Philippines.
The company plans to scale its investments beyond the $180 million deployed since 2018, targeting AI, healthcare, and software engineering services.
This leadership update follows the retirement of CEO Darren Entwistle, who was succeeded by Victor Dodig on July 1, 2026.
Financial Performance and Outlook
Despite short-term stock pressures, Traders Union analyst Viktoras Karapetjanc noted that the internal promotion and international expansions reinforce long-term strategic fundamentals.
The stock experienced technical volatility, trading at C$14.59 after a minor rise following a 3.6% slide to C$14.46 on July 2.
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Telus recorded a 15.44% drop over four weeks, hitting a close near its 52-week low of C$14.28.
However, the company maintained its quarterly dividend payout of C$0.4184, yielding an annualized 11.6% based on the July 2 close.
In May, former EVP and CFO Doug French stated that Telus would keep the dividend steady while lowering the discount on its dividend reinvestment plan to 1.75% to support lower leverage goals.
First-quarter cash from operations reached C$1.05 billion, with free cash flow rising 19% to C$583 million.
Telus maintained its full-year 2026 guidance, targeting free cash flow of approximately C$2.45 billion and capital expenditures of C$2.3 billion.
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The company continues to target a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 3.3x or less by the end of 2026, aiming for 3.0x or below by the end of 2027.
