Altrincham-born Patterson to lead BT
TELECOMS group BT has named Altrincham-born Gavin Patterson as its new chief executive.
He will succeed Ian Livingston who is stepping down in September to join the Government as a trade minister in succession to Lord Green who is retiring.
Mr Patterson, 45, a Liverpool-supporting father of four, is currently head of BT’s Retail division and has been a main board director since 2008. Before his family moved to the south he went to Cobbs Infants School in Appleton, Warrington.
Commenting on his new role, Mr Patterson, a chemical engineering graduate from Cambridge University, said: “It is a privilege to have been offered the position of chief executive of BT Group, and I am delighted to accept. The company is in a strong place. We have great opportunities ahead and are well placed to take advantage of them, in the UK and internationally.
“We have the people, the technology and the plans we need to build on our current successes. I look forward to leading a dynamic team to ensure we do just that.”
Ian Livingston will be appointed a Life-Peer and join the House of Lords before taking up his front-bench government post in December.
Gavin Patterson joined BT in early 2004 as managing director of its consumer division. He previously spent four years at Telewest (which later merged with NTL to become Virgin Media), including as managing director of its consumer division.
Before entering the communications sector, he spent nine years at Procter and Gamble, rising to become European marketing director.
