The Executive Committee provides input and recommendations to assist the chief executive with strategy development and operational management. It is chaired by the chief executive.

The Executive Committee assists the chief executive to:

  • develop group strategy and budget for approval by the Board
  • execute the strategy once the Board approves it
  • give assurance to the Board on overall performance and how we’re managing risks.

The chief executive, or his delegate, take all decisions. This is so there is a single point of accountability.

Chief executive

Philip Jansen

Biography >

Chief financial officer

Simon Lowth

Biography >

CEO, Consumer

Marc Allera

  • Appointed September 2017.

    Marc was previously CEO, EE and prior to that chief commercial officer for EE from 2011 to 2015. He spent ten years at Three UK as sales and marketing director and chief commercial officer. Prior to that, Marc was general manager of Sega UK and Europe.

CEO, BT Business*

Bas Burger

  • Appointed July 2016.

    Bas was formerly CEO BT Global and prior to this was president, BT in the Americas, Global Services. Bas joined BT in 2008 as CEO Benelux. Before joining BT, Bas was executive president and a member of the management committee of Getronics NV, where he ran global sales, channels and partnerships, developing the company’s international business. He was also CEO and managing director of KPN Entercom Solutions.

    *BT Business was formed on 1 January 2023 from the combination of the former Enterprise and Global units. It will commence reporting as a single unit from 1 April 2023, with pro forma reporting information to be produced ahead of BT Group’s Q1 FY24 results

Chief digital and innovation officer

Harmeen Mehta

  • Appointed March 2021.

    Before joining BT, Harmeen was group CIO and head of cloud & security business at Bharti Airtel. Harmeen has experience leading digital, engineering, IT and innovation transformation. Harmeen has previously been CIO at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BBVA and HSBC.

Corporate affairs director

Ed Petter

  • Appointed November 2016.

    Ed was formerly deputy director of corporate affairs at Lloyds Banking Group. Prior to that he held corporate affairs roles at McDonald’s Europe, McKinsey & Company and the Blue Rubicon communications consultancy, having previously worked as a news producer and editor at the BBC.

Chief Security and Networks Officer

Howard Watson

  • Appointed February 2016 as chief technology and information officer and became chief technology officer in March 2021. In September 2022, Howard’s role expanded to put security at the core of the business to accelerate BT’s ambition to become the world’s most trusted connector of people, devices and machines and become the Chief Security and Networks Officer.

    Howard was formerly chief architect and managing director, global IT systems and led the technical teams behind the launch of BT Sport in 2013. Howard joined BT in 2011 and has 30 years of telecoms experience having spent time at Telewest Communications (now Virgin Media) and Cartesian, a telecommunications consultancy and software company.

Chief Human Resources Officer

Athalie Williams

  • Appointed December 2022.

    Before joining BT Group, Athalie was Chief People Officer for BHP. As Chief People Officer Athalie was responsible for delivering innovative people and culture strategies, programs and policies to support the employment and development of BHP Billiton’s employees globally and ensuring the company had the right people and capabilities to deliver its strategy.

    Prior to BHP Billiton, Athalie spent 14 years leading complex business transformation and change programs in Australia and Asia as an Organisation Strategy and Change Management consultant with Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting). Earlier in her career she worked at National Australia Bank where she was General Manager of Cultural Transformation in the Office of the CEO.

Group General Counsel, Company Secretary and Director of Regulatory Affairs

Sabine Chalmers

Biography >

Invitee - CEO, Openreach

Clive Selley

  • Appointed February 2016.

    Clive was formerly CEO, Technology, Service & Operations, CEO innovate & design and before that president, Global Services portfolio & service design. The CEO, Openreach cannot be a member of the Executive Committee under the provisions of the Commitments. Clive attends Executive Committee meetings as appropriate.

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