According to reports, BT Group CEO Philip Jansen may be stepping down from his role.
BT Group comprises Openreach, EE and Plusnet. Sources cited by the Mail on Sunday say the company has started searching for a successor to Jansen, who has led BT since 2018.
During his tenure, Jansen prioritized accelerating the rollout of full-fibre broadband (Fibre-to-the-Premises, FTTP) across the UK, reduced the company’s emphasis on pay-TV, and oversaw a major rebranding across several divisions.
His time as CEO has also included difficult decisions and controversies.
Jansen implemented significant cost-saving measures, including restructuring and job cuts. Amid the company’s first national strikes since 1987 over pay, he accepted a 32 percent salary increase, a move that drew strong criticism.
“Workers will not accept a massive deterioration in their living standards,” said Dave Ward, General Secretary of the CWU, at the time, adding that the disruption from the strike was the result of management’s approach.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Jansen made remarks that prompted “significant concern” at Ofcom. He suggested that once full-fibre deployment is complete there might effectively be “one national network,” warning it could spell trouble for some alternative providers. He later said his comments had been taken out of context.
Although many expected Jansen to remain in post for some time, headhunters are reportedly already compiling a shortlist of potential successors.
An internal promotion would be plausible. Marc Allera, BT’s Head of Consumer and former CEO of EE, is frequently mentioned as a leading candidate.
In 2021, the French telecoms group Altice acquired a 12.1 percent stake in BT, becoming the company’s largest shareholder. Altice later raised its holding to 18 percent, triggering a government national security assessment.
At the time, Altice said it saw a “compelling opportunity” in BT and denied any plans for a takeover. However, investment intentions can change, and any leadership uncertainty at BT could present an opening for Altice to pursue a bid if it chooses to do so.
(Image Credit: BT Group)
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