BT appoints new CEO of embattled Openreach division

UK telco BT has promoted Clive Selley, group CIO and head of BT Technology Service and Operations to head up its Openreach wholesale division.

Selley will take over from Joe Garner, who is leaving to become CEO of Nationwide Building Society. The Openreach role is an especially sensitive one following a sustained campaign from BT’s competitors to have the division removed entirely from BT amid allegations of a conflict of interests. As a long-time BT insider Selley will presumably be viewed as a safe pair of hands.

“I am honoured to have been asked to lead Openreach at this important point in its history,” said Selley. “The huge investment it has made over the past decade has made the UK a broadband leader, and we need to build on those foundations by deploying fibre to further communities and by rolling out ultrafast broadband. Customer service is a top priority of mine and I am committed to delivering further improvements by working closely with all industry partners who rely on our network to serve their customers.

“Clive is a hugely talented individual and I am delighted he has agreed to lead Openreach,” said Gavin Patterson, BT Group CEO. “He has an unrivalled knowledge of networks and engineering and is ideally suited to take the UK from a superfast nation to an ultrafast one. He supports our vision for the UK’s digital future and will play a key role in ensuring that businesses, consumers and communities receive the services they need and deserve.”

In other BT news Chairman Mike Rake told the FT the company might be up for some joint ventures with Deutsche Telekom once the EE deal goes through at the German telco would then become a major BT shareholder. The same paper had previously broken the news that BT plans to maintain the EE brand after the acquisition.