BT is bringing together its people from design, operations, IT and networks into a single reporting structure under Andy Green who moves from being Chief Executive of BT Global Services to become CEO of Group Strategy and Operations.
Francois Barrault becomes Chief Executive of BT Global Services and joins the BT Board. Francois moves from his current role of President of BT International. Both appointments take immediate effect.
Green will lead two new business units that will design and operate services across the world to meet the needs of BT Retail, BT Global Services, BT Wholesale, Openreach and the wider communications industry. “BT Design” will be responsible for the design and development of new services. “BT Operate” will be responsible for their deployment and operation. Approximately 20,000 BT employees will move into these new units from other parts of the business.
BT say the structure will benefit customers by bringing them new services quicker, making them more reliable, easy to buy and easy to use. In his new role Green will also have responsibility for driving this transformational change throughout BT.
The lines of business, BT Retail, BT Global Services and BT Wholesale, retain their critical responsibility for marketing sales and customer service to their consumer, business and wholesale market segments. Openreach remains unchanged retaining its role of providing highly regulated products and services.
Ben Verwaayen, BT chief executive, said today: “This is the second phase of BT’s transformation. The first phase saw BT shift its focus from narrowband to broadband. This next stage is equally important. It will see BT advance from a 20th century hardware-based company to a 21st century software-based services company. In a software driven world, services will be available in real time and around the globe, harnessing the potential of BT’s 21st Century Network. The changes we are announcing today will drive new standards of excellence and shift power and choice decisively to customers.”
Commenting on his new role, Andy Green said: “BT has built a fantastic business by being the first to recognize the growth potential for networked IT services. My challenge is to help keep BT ahead of the game. Bringing together our world class capabilities in IT networks and process skills will give us unrivalled agility and renewed focus on operational excellence.”
Francois Barrault said: “I am thrilled to be taking over one of the great growth engines of BT. BT Global Services is a tremendous success story which has only just begun. The company’s new structure brings improved levels of innovation and speed to market within our reach. It will enable BT to extend its position of world leadership in helping customers get the most out of their global operations”.