Ofcom has named former BT CEO Ben Verwaayen as a non-executive. The appointment comes amid an ongoing review of the incumbent’s infrastructure arm, Openreach, which rivals say should be structurally separated.
UK communications regulator Ofcom has appointed former BT (LSE:BT) CEO Ben Verwaayen and former Economist editor-in-chief Bill Emmott as non-executive board members.
They will start their four-year terms this month.
Verwaayen was at BT between 2003 and 2008, coinciding with the company’s Ofcom-mandated functional separation of its networks business, Openreach, in 2005. Following BT’s agreement to acquire EE, rivals have called for Ofcom to consider a full structural separation – something Ofcom is considering as part of its current sector review.
A 30-year veteran of the TMT industry, Verwaayen’s former roles also include CEO of KPN and Alcatel-Lucent, and chairman at content production and distribution firm Endemol. He is currently a general partner at investment fund Keen Venture Partners and sits on the boards of content delivery network Akamai and Indian mobile operator Bharti Airtel.
Emmott, who will also chair Ofcom’s content board, spent 26 years at the Economist and is now a documentary film maker and a non-fiction author. He has chaired the London Library, acts as an adviser to insurer Swiss Re and wealth manager Stonehage Fleming, and is a visiting professor at Japan’s Shujitsu University.
The two replace Tim Gardam and Mike McTighe, who step down after two terms. Stephen Hill resigned from the board last year to pursue other opportunities.
In its statement, Ofcom noted that its non-executive directors are appointed by the government’s department for culture, media and sport.