TIDMBT.A
RNS Number : 2936L
BT Group PLC
11 January 2021
11 January 2021
BT ESTABLISHES DIGITAL UNIT TO ACCELERATE, NEXT-GEN SERVICES FOR
CUSTOMERS
BT today announced the creation of a new technology unit -
Digital - to lead its digital innovation agenda, effective from 1
April 2021. The new unit will focus on the development and rapid
delivery of innovative products, platforms and services in key
areas such as healthcare and data.
Harmeen Mehta appointed as Chief Digital and Innovation
Officer
To lead the new unit, BT has appointed Harmeen Mehta as Chief
Digital and Innovation Officer, reporting directly to Chief
Executive Philip Jansen and as a member of the Executive Committee.
Harmeen will work closely with Philip, the Board, the Chief
Technology Officer and BT's customer facing units to drive the
company's digital transformation. The new Digital unit will include
accountability for IT, digital innovation, BT-wide business
transformation and data and product strategy.
Harmeen joins from global telecommunications provider Bharti
Airtel, where she's spent the last seven years as Group CIO, as
well as leading their cloud and security businesses. She has 24
years' experience leading digital, engineering, IT and innovation
transformation. Before Bharti Airtel, Harmeen held CIO positions at
BBVA, HSBC and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Howard Watson to lead converged networks and service
platforms
Howard Watson will become Chief Technology Officer, leading the
team accountable for network strategy, networks transformation and
service platforms, as well as retaining accountability for cyber
and information security. The continued focus on network leadership
and partnership with customer facing units on converged services
and experiences will leverage the strength of BT's superior
networks to differentiate its services for its customers.
New BT Technology Advisory Board established
Supporting the acceleration of BT's technology transformation,
BT also announced a non-executive Technology Advisory Board ("TAB")
to provide insight, provocation and external perspective to the
Executive Committee on emerging technologies, market and societal
trends.
The TAB will consist of recognised industry experts, meeting
three times a year, to provide thought leadership on the
development of propositions and identify opportunities in the
portfolio for future consideration. Members include Daniela Rus ,
Dame Wendy Hall , Steve King , Shweta Sharma , Mike Young , and
John Stecher . Their wide-ranging expertise includes artificial
intelligence, technology and digital transformation, product
strategy, disruptive technologies, and innovation.
A change to Strategy and Transformation
With a new strategic ambition and transformation programme now
in execution, BT announced that Mike Sherman, Chief Strategy and
Transformation Officer, has decided it's the right time for him to
leave BT. Mike has played a major role over the last three years in
resetting BT for the future and this change marks the next stage of
driving this plan across BT. Product strategy, business
transformation, data and AI, currently in Strategy and
Transformation, will form part of the new Digital unit.
Responsibility for corporate strategy moves to Simon Lowth, Chief
Financial Officer.
Chief Executive Philip Jansen said: "This is more than a
leadership announcement, it's an important statement of intent.
2020 saw a number of major BT innovations enter the marketplace but
there's opportunity to go much further. The creation of BT Digital
will enable us to focus on the areas where we can have the greatest
impact, delivering digital platforms that bring together
best-in-class services for our customers, and fully embracing new
technologies such as AI and machine learning. This is bigger than
just BT; it's about building partnerships with other leading
innovators to expand into new areas and bring the benefits of
top-notch digital services to customers, including enhanced
converged fixed and mobile services, tools that guard against
cyber-attacks, and connected care applications to help families
look after elderly or vulnerable loved ones even if they're
geographically remote. These changes will help us take these ideas
to market fast and at scale, accelerating our digital and business
transformation programmes already underway, and I'm delighted to
welcome Harmeen to BT at this exciting time. I'd also like to thank
Mike for his leadership and contribution to BT, we wish him well
for the future."
Harmeen Mehta added: "BT is an institution with deep roots and a
rich and fabulous past of serving customers and multinationals in
the UK and globally. I am really excited to be part of the future
of BT as we build a customer centric digital organisation bringing
new products and services to delight our customers and create new
opportunities of digital growth in the business. There never has
been a more interesting time to play such a meaningful role in the
lives of our customers and I'm excited to play such a key role in
delivering the exciting ambition that Philip and his team have set
out."
Harmeen joins BT on 1 March 2021.
END
About BT
BT Group is the UK's leading telecommunications and network
provider and a leading provider of global communications services
and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal
activities in the UK include the provision of fixed voice, mobile,
broadband and TV (including Sport) and a range of products and
services over converged fixed and mobile networks to consumer,
business and public sector customers. For its global customers, BT
provides managed services, security and network and IT
infrastructure services to support their operations all over the
world. BT consists of four customer-facing units: Consumer,
Enterprise, Global and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Openreach,
which provides access network services to over 650 communications
provider customers who sell phone, broadband and Ethernet services
to homes and businesses across the UK.
For the year ended 31 March 2020, BT Group's reported revenue
was GBP22,905m with reported profit before taxation of
GBP2,353m.
British Telecommunications plc is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of
the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock
Exchange.
For more information, visit www.bt.com/about
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END
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