BT picks Adam Crozier to be new UK chairman

The BT Group has announced that former ITV CEO, Adam Crozier, will replace Jan du Plessis in the role of chairman in December.

Du Plessis, a key figure within BT, is set to retire from the £700,000-a-year role later this year.

Du Plessis oversaw many projects at BT, including several changes that came from Ofcom’s Strategic Review of Digital Communications in 2016, which itself included the creation of Openreach as a “legally separate” company with its own board.

BT’s new CEO, Philip Jansen, has been moving the company away from the TV business and towards broadband infrastructure, with the group announcing a £15bn project to connect 25 million UK premises to their gigabit-capable fibre-to-the-premises network by the end of 2026.

Crozier has plenty of experience with companies changing directions. He has been a CEO of Royal Mail Holdings and ITV, both of which underwent considerable modernisation during his tenure. Crozier is currently chairman of Kantar Group Limited, ASOS plc, and Whitbread plc.

BT Group Chief Executive, Philip Jansen, said: “I would like to thank Jan for his leadership over the last four years. He has overseen the achievement of significant milestones and the recent improvement in BT’s fortunes and his careful stewardship has left the business in a better, stronger position. On behalf of the Executive Committee and all our colleagues, I would like to wish him well for the future. I am delighted to welcome Adam to BT and I really look forward to working with him as we target returning BT to consistent growth.”

Adam Crozier said: “It is an honour to join the Board of BT and to succeed Jan as Chair. BT is a hugely important company, with a critical role to play in building the digital networks and services to support the UK’s future. I look forward to working with the Board, Philip and his executive team to create value for all our stakeholders.”

Crozier will join the board as a Chairman Designate and independent non-Executive Director at the beginning of November, and will then become Chairman from the start of December when du Plessis retires.

Harry Pererra

Harry turns on his experience in journalism and programming to write about the latest news in the world of tech and the environemtn. When he isn’t writing for usave he is working towards his Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and prefers dogs to cats.

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