BT appoints first female boss in Allison Kirkby

Friday 25 August 2023 by Jonathan Victoria 

BT has announced that Allison Kirkby will be appointed as the company's new Chief Executive in January 2024 when current boss Philip Jansen steps down.

This move will be making history for the company as Kirkby will become the first female boss of BT in the company's 100-year history.

Ms Kirkby has been a non-executive director in the company since 2019 and also resides as president and Chief Executive of Swedish telecoms firm Telia Company.

She will be joining the small but growing group of female Chief Executives in the FTSE 100 Index and will be opening a door within BT to allow for further modern progression.

Ms Kirkby’s resume has seen her in multiple high-ranking positions, proving that her qualifications and experience make her a perfect candidate to take over the big duties as head boss of BT.

As for the outgoing Mr. Jansen, his announcement of his retirement next year came less than two months after the company's decision to cut up to 55,000 jobs - around 40% of their total workforce - to focus on the advancement of the use of AI and automation.