BT poaches Bharti Airtel executive in digital shake-up
BT has poached a top technology executive from Indian telecoms giant Bharti Airtel to lead its digital transformation plans.
The FTSE 100 behemoth today announced the appointment of Harmeen Mehta in the new role of chief digital and innovation officer.
Mehta, who will report directly to chief executive Philip Jansen, will oversee a new digital unit responsible for the company’s IT and digital innovation, as well as its data and product strategy.
Mehta has spent the last seven years as global chief information officer at Bharti Airtel, the Indian telecoms group majority owned by billionaire tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal.
She has previously held roles at HSBC and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
The appointment marks further efforts by boss Jansen to accelerate BT’s digital transformation as part of a wider turnaround plan.
This will include greater investment in cloud computing, as well as using its network to offer customers new digital products and services.
As part of the overhaul, BT today said it will establish a non-executive technology advisory board that will draw on industry experts to provide insight into emerging technologies and market trends.
The company also announced that chief strategy and transformation officer Mike Sherman will leave the company after three years.
Top executive Howard Watson will become chief transformation officer, while responsibility for strategy moves to chief financial officer Simon Lowth.
Boss Jansen described the leadership overhaul as an “important statement of intent”.
“The creation of BT Digital will enable us to focus on the areas where we can have the greatest impact, delivering digital platforms that bring together best-in-class services for our customers, and fully embracing new technologies such as AI and machine learning,” he said.
“These changes will help us take these ideas to market fast and at scale, accelerating our digital and business transformation programmes already underway, and I’m delighted to welcome Harmeen to BT at this exciting time.”