BT redesigns its strategy boutique

BT has announced a corporate reshuffle aimed at keeping the telco "ahead of the game" as it battles increasing competition at home and abroad.

The changes acknowledge the firm's increasing reliance on software and IP services by creating a new strategy unit to oversee the existing retail, global services, wholesale, and Openreach divisions.

As CEO of group strategy and operations, Andy Green will be responsible for better coordinating new products and services across the divisions through two new business units - BT Design and BT Operate, which will together employ about 20,000 current staff.

BT Design will look after creating new services, while BT Operate will be responsible for deploying them across the group.

Current president of BT International, Francois Barrault, will take over from Green as chief executive of BT Global Services, and wins a seat on the BT board. BT has big plans for Global Services, which it has targeted as a primary growth area, through flogging its technology overseas.

Group chief executive Ben Verwaayen said: "This is the second phase of BT's transformation. The first phase saw BT shift its focus from narrowband to broadband. This next stage is equally important. It will see BT advance from a 20th century hardware-based company to a 21st century software-based services company." ®