Kirby’s Goal to Transform BT Into a Leaner, Telecom Powerhouse

Allison Kirkby is a seasoned telecoms and media executive with a career spanning over three decades across multiple international markets. Before becoming CEO of BT Group in early 2024, she held the top role at Telia Company, the leading Nordic and Baltic telecom operator, from 2020 to 2023. At Telia, she focused on streamlining operations, driving digital transformation, and improving shareholder returns, skills she has since brought to BT.

Kirkby’s career started in finance, holding various roles at Procter & Gamble and Guinness (now Diageo) before moving into telecommunications. She joined Virgin Media in 2010, where she led financial operations in the UK.

From there, she took on executive roles at Tele2, one of Europe’s fastest-growing mobile operators, where she served as both CFO and CEO. During her time at Tele2, she successfully led mergers and market consolidations.

Known for her pragmatic leadership style, she’s now tasked with transforming BT into a leaner, more UK-focused telecom powerhouse, balancing infrastructure investments with shareholder value creation.

BT’s roots trace back to its 1846 establishment as the National Telephone Company. Its evolution—from state-owned monopoly to diversified telecoms giant—previously stretched BT worldwide. Now, Kirkby is steering it back to domestic essentials, aiming to transform BT into a leaner, UK-centric infrastructure champion.

From the outset, Kirkby’s clear mandate is to streamline BT’s operations, sharpen the UK focus, and restore investor confidence by combining aggressive cost-cutting, stronger dividends, and a refocus on core UK assets like Openreach and EE. Fundamentally, Kirkby’s strategy hits three key goals: reduce overheads, double the cash flow in 5 years and increase shareholder profits.

A big part of her pivot is placing priority on BT’s UK engine. Openreach, the company’s wholesale fibre arm, recorded record build rates—surpassing 17 million premises—and is vital to the fibre-to-the-premises buildout targeting 25 million by 2026

Equally, EE, the mobile part of the business, remains the revenue mainstay. Meanwhile, BT is trimming global operations: divesting in Italy, Ireland, and exploring carve-outs for its international unit.
The early signs are encouraging: BT’s share price rose dramatically—18% in a single day—after Kirkby declared the cost-saving and dividend uplift.

But challenges remain: competition from altnets, broadband line losses, and navigating an uncertain economic outlook. Still, with a disciplined focus and clear milestones, Kirkby’s turnaround looks intentional, and investors are watching closely as results continue to roll out.