BT calls up Worldpay boss for CEO role

Philip Jansen is set to replace Gavin Patterson as chief exec in February next year

BT has dialled in Philip Jansen to replace outgoing CEO Gavin Patterson, who announced his departure from the organisation in June.

Jansen (pictured) will take up a position on the executive board on 1 January 2019, and will take the reins as chief exec on 1 February after a handover period.

The newly anointed CEO will step down from his role as co-chief executive at Worldpay, a global payments services group, at the end of this year.

Jansen was appointed CEO of Worldpay in 2013 and oversaw its flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 2015, along with leading an overhaul of its infrastructure.

Earlier this year, Worldpay combined with credit card processing firm Vantiv to form Worldpay, Inc, of which Jansen became co-CEO.

Jansen said: "BT is a special company with a wonderful history and a very exciting future.

"It has built a leading position across fixed and mobile networks, creating an opportunity to deliver increasing benefits for our customers, the UK economy and our shareholders.

"In a competitive market we will need to be absolutely focused on our customers' needs and pursue the right technology investments to help grow the business. I'm excited to get to know all the people at BT and work together to take the business forward."

Jansen will take over at a troubled time for the telco. Earlier this year, it reported a revenue decline of one per cent year on year to £23.7bn for 12 months ending 31 March 2018.

Those results led to restructuring plans which will see 13,000 job cuts - a third of which will be from its struggling Global Services division.

Jan du Plessis, chairman of BT Group, said the board is delighted that Jansen is joining the organisation.

"Philip is a proven leader with outstanding experience in managing large, complex businesses," he said.

"His strong leadership has inspired his teams, successfully transformed businesses across multiple industries and created significant value for shareholders.

"His most recent success at Worldpay, a technology-led business, means he is well suited to build on the solid foundations that are in place at BT. I look forward to working with him to position BT at the heart of the UK's digital economy."