BT consolidating enterprise businesses in the UK and Ireland

BT Group announced on Wednesday that it would bring together its enterprise businesses in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, in a bid to accelerate its transformation, simplify its operating model and strengthen accountabilities.

The FTSE 100 telco giant said its ‘business and public sector’ and ‘wholesale and ventures’ would be combined to create a new business unit, BT Enterprise.

Gerry McQuade - currently CEO of the wholesale and ventures business - was appointed to bring together and lead the new organisation.

The company said the new organisation would provide products and services to firms in the small-to-medium sized business, corporate and public sectors, and provide wholesale services to around 1,400 communication providers in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

It said the business would also include BT's ventures business, which acts as an incubator for potential new growth areas of the company.

“Having brought together our consumer and EE businesses, this is the next step in the simplification of BT's operating model,” said BT CEO Gavin Patterson.

“Combining our enterprise businesses will allow us to strengthen the services and products we offer to businesses and sharpen our focus on customer service, through clear accountabilities and by introducing efficiencies.”

Patterson said Gerry McQuade had successfully led the wholesale and ventures business since its inception in 2016, adding that he was “the right person” to drive the new organisation forward.

“Together, our senior management team will ensure that BT realises its full potential, connecting customers in the UK and beyond to next-generation digital communications services, content and networks.”

McQuade would lead BT Enterprise from 1 May, and it would report as a single unit from 1 October.

additionally, BT announced that after five years on its executive committee and 12 years at BT, Graham Sutherland was leaving the group.

“I'd like to thank Graham for all he has done for BT over the past 12 years,” said Gavin Patterson.

“During his time as CEO of the businesses in Ireland and MD of BT Business, he materially improved the profitability and performance of those divisions.

“Most recently as CEO of BT business and public sector he has successfully led the integration of EE business into BT and the turnaround of our public sector division.”

BT added that its global services unit would continue to provide services to multinational companies operating in the UK and worldwide.