Giant telecommunication firm Telstra Corporation Ltd sets its sight on fresh sales and marketing approach following the impending departures of the telco's two senior executives.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Telstra revealed that its long-time chief operating officer Michael Rocca and public policy and communications managing director David Quilty have expressed their intentions to leave the company.

To replace Quilty, who resigned with immediate effect, Telstra said that it has tapped former St George Bank chief executive Paul Fegan to serve as its new group managing director for strategy and corporate services, which effectively absorbed Quilty's erstwhile functions as head of the firm's public, communications and corporate policies.

The new office for Fegan, who served as St George CEO prior to its takeover by Westpac, will also handle Telstra's merger and acquisition strategies, according to the company statement.

Telstra said that Quilty had been with the company for five years and an AAP report noted that the departing executive also worked with former Prime Minister John Howard's government as a senior cabinet adviser.

On the other hand, former IBM Europe senior executive Brendon Riley will assume his role as Telstra's new chief operating officer once Rocca officially retires on February 20 after serving the company for more than 40 years.

Telstra said that unlike Quilty, Rocca was prevailed upon to stick with the telco for a while to help its network rehabilitation efforts following the devastating flood that inundated Australia in the past weeks.

Riley, who also has had a stint as chief executive of IBM Global Services Australia, expressed excitement over his new position on the country's leading telco provider, with the Telstra official statement quoted him as saying that "with a strong focus on customer service and the deployment of new technologies and service offerings, Telstra can continue to transform and be a market leader."

The exit of the company's senior managers and the entry of its new executives, according to Telstra chief executive David Thodey, "are part of a series of changes Telstra will continue to make as we adapt to new market opportunities, develop a group of talented leaders for the future, and build a sales and marketing-led culture."