BT CEO Ian Livingston has quit as chief executive of the telco to become Britain’s new trade minister.
Livingston, 48, will replace Lord Green as the Minister of State for Trade and Investment and he will be replaced by Gavin Patterson, boss of the company’s retail business.
In a statement Livingston said that the change of career was not in his plans or my timing but it is something really important.
“If someone said to me six weeks ago I’d be doing this, or even four weeks ago, I’d have been extremely surprised.”
Blighty PM David “own is an ordinary bloke” Cameron called Livingston an “outstanding business leader”.
“I know that he will make an invaluable contribution to this agenda as the Government continues to open new trade links and grow British exports”.
Livingston will step down from BT in September and take over the unpaid role in December.
“It is not just about the big corporates, I want to help more SMEs to get exporting. We are still a great trading nation and the more we trade, the better,” he said.
Livingston joined BT and hacked a £28 billion debt pile, cut costs and tackle increased competition.
It will be an interesting change of tactics from Livingston who has been very vocal about the gap between government policy and the delivery in recent years.
His replacement Gavin Patterson was the brains behind BT’s pay-TV push.
