BT indicated a major shift in strategy on Thursday when it unveiled tech expert Philip Jansen as its new chief executive, to replace Gavin Patterson in February next year.
Jansen arrives from Worldpay, having held senior positions at Sodexo, Tele-west and Procter & Gamble.
Patterson has paid the price for a £530 million accounting scandal at BT’s Italian arm, and for the frustration felt by Government and shareholders that he wasn’t moving fast enough to make Britain a broadband success story.
Critics said he was a marketeer rather than a telecoms man. Jansen, the choice of new chairman Jan du Plessis, would seem to answer that criticism. His basic pay of £1.1 million is £100,000 a year more than Patterson’s.
The 51-year old was described as a “proven leader” by Du Plessis, who added: “Philip’s strong leadership has inspired his teams, successfully transformed businesses… and created significant value for shareholders.”
Jansen said: “In a competitive market we will need to be absolutely focused on our customers’ needs and pursue the right technology investments to help grow the business. I’m excited to get to know all the people at BT and work together to take the business forward.”
BT remains under fire from regulators, consumers and rivals, who think its service leaves a lot to be desired.
Jansen has been Worldpay chief executive for five years and led the business through what was Britain’s biggest financial technology float.
In June, Patterson said that he would step down from BT, weeks after the firm unveiled plans to cut 13,000 jobs in a bid to cut costs. BT shares slipped 6p to 245p, at which price the company is worth £24.2 billion.
