BT Group Appoints Allison Kirkby as Chief Executive
BT Group, the largest mobile and broadband supplier in Britain, has announced the appointment of Allison Kirkby as the new chief executive. Kirkby, who previously served as president and CEO of Swedish telecoms provider Telia, will replace Philip Jansen by the end of January 2024. With experience at Virgin Media and Denmark’s TDC, Kirkby has been a member of the BT Group board for the past four years.
Excitement and Support for the Future
Expressing her enthusiasm for the role, Kirkby stated, “I’m fully supportive of our strategy and am excited about leading it into its next phase of development, as we grow to support customers, shareholders, and the U.K. economy.”
Handover Process and Retirement of Philip Jansen
Philip Jansen, the current chief executive, announced his plan to step down within the next 12 months. BT confirmed that Jansen will assist in the handover process until March 2024 before retiring. Jansen’s legacy includes BT’s efforts to build a national fibre network and offer discounted wholesale fibre pricing to major broadband providers.
Positive Regulatory Response and Business Performance
BT’s subsidiary, Openreach, received approval from U.K. telecoms regulator Ofcom for its Equinox 2 wholesale pricing scheme. Ofcom stated that the pricing discounts were not considered anti-competitive. BT also reported positive business performance, with a 5% increase in adjusted EBITDA to £2 billion ($2.57 billion) and an 11% increase in pre-tax profit to £536 million during the three-month period ending on June 30.
