Adam Crozier to take over as BT chair
Former ITV and FA chief executive’s appointment comes after surprise resignation of Jan du Plessis
Adam Crozier, the former ITV and Football Association chief executive, is to take over as chair of BT at the end of the year after the surprise resignation of Jan du Plessis prompted the executive search.
Crozier, whose appointment was mooted this month, will take up the position from December 1, when Du Plessis, who quit unexpectedly in March after less than four years in the role, will step down. Philip Jansen, BT’s chief executive, had threatened to go unless the South African boardroom veteran was moved on.
Crozier was the “unanimous choice of the board”, said Iain Conn, BT’s senior independent director. He will become chair designate and join the telecom group’s board in November.
“BT is a hugely important company, with a critical role to play in building the digital networks and services to support the UK’s future,” Crozier said on Tuesday. He will step down from his positions at Asos and Sony Corporation later this year.
BT said Crozier had over the past 20 years “built a strong track record in turning around troubled organisations”, citing the role he played as chief executive at ITV, which he “transformed into one of the most successful and dynamic media and content companies in the world”.