Former HSBC Exec Joe Garner Replaces Liv Garfield As BT Openreach CEO

BT has appointed former HSBC executive Joe Garner as the new CEO of its local network business Openreach, replacing the outgoing Liv Garfield who is joining water company Severn Trent.

Garner will take charge in mid-February and has previously held positions at Dixons and Proctor & Gamble, but it is his reputation for improving customer service  and working in the heavily regulated banking industry that has attracted BT to his services,

BT says this will prove “invaluable” given that Openreach is regulated by Ofcom and must open its network to other Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Openreach network

“I am delighted to welcome Joe to the team. His experience of managing a large regulated business with a substantial workforce will help us as we expand our fibre optic network into rural areas,” says BT Group CEO Gavin Patterson. “He will also ensure that Openreach continues to play a vital role in supporting businesses, consumers and communities the length and breadth of the country.”

During Garfield’s tenure, the number of people who can access the Openreach fibre network has risen from 4 million to 17 million, while the number of customers using superfast broadband has increased from 100,000 to more than two million.

The number of unbundled copper lines has also increased from 7.6 million to 9 million. Unbundled lines are copper telephone lines owned by BT, but used by other telecoms providers to offer broadband and other services. BT has been required to open its copper circuits up to rival providers at a fair price for some years, and Ofcom says this has promoted competition and resulted in lower Internet bills for consumers.

Garner says he hopes to build on the good work done by his predecessor and continue to expand the Openreach network.

“I am thrilled to be joining Openreach at such a critical moment – a moment when technology is redefining how our society communicates,” he says. “I am grateful to my predecessor and the engineers who have already delivered so much. It is my ambition to build on this work and I intend to focus on customer service, continued innovation and maintaining fair and equal access for all.”

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