LONDON, July 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - BT’s (BT.L) board faced the challenge of hiring a new CEO willing to implement a turnaround strategy decided by their predecessor.
It has solved that problem by appointing one of its own members, Allison Kirkby, to the post vacated by outgoing Philip Jansen.
Shares in the Swedish telco sank 4% on news of her departure, suggesting Telia’s loss is a gain for BT.
Kirkby won’t take over until January 2024 but, having sat on BT’s board for more than four years, she should be able to hit the road running.
Keeping these two investors on her side will be the real test for Kirkby at BT.
Persons:
Allison Kirkby, Philip Jansen ., Swedish telco, Kirkby won’t, Patrick Drahi’s, Jansen, Pierre Briançon, Liam Proud, Oliver Taslic
Organizations:
Reuters, Telia Company, BT, Kirkby, Deutsche Telekom, Twitter, Soaring, of Japan, Thomson
Locations:
Swedish, Kirkby