BT Names Access Equality Board

LONDON -- BT today announced the membership of the Equality of Access Board (EAB). This Board is being created as a result of the new regulatory settlement confirmed by Ofcom on September 22. BT also revealed the Board will be operational from 1 November, a full four and a half months ahead of schedule.

The EAB will monitor, report and advise on BT’s compliance with the Undertakings given to, and accepted by, Ofcom on September 22. In particular, it will oversee the provision of certain products on an equivalent basis and the performance of the newly created openreach business. It will not have an executive policy-making role.

The five members of the EAB are: Carl Symon, a BT Group non-executive director who is the chairman, Sally Davis, BT’s chief portfolio officer, and three independent external members, Sir Bryan Carsberg, Stephen Pettit and Dr Peter Radley. The independent members bring to the EAB a wealth of relevant experience in the telecommunications industry and regulation, coupled with wide-ranging consumer, financial and commercial expertise. Their appointments were carried out in consultation with Ofcom.

Sir Christopher Bland, BT chairman, said: “The creation of this Board is a central plank of the new regulatory settlement. The fact that it will be operational several months ahead of schedule is evidence of BT’s firm commitment to the settlement and the delivery of equivalence.”

Carl Symon, chairman of the EAB, added: “The Equality of Access Board has a key role to play in ensuring there is widespread confidence in the new regulatory regime. Sir Bryan Carsberg, Stephen Pettit and Peter Radley bring an outstanding mix of relevant knowledge, ability and experience to the board. Together with Sally Davis, who plays a pivotal role in BT, they constitute a formidable team to tackle the job ahead.”

As required by the Undertakings given to Ofcom on 22 September 2005, the EAB will report regularly to the BT Group plc Board, provide minutes of its meetings to Ofcom and send a report on its review of BT’s compliance with the Undertakings to Ofcom annually. It will be supported by the full-time Equality of Access Office and its own Secretariat.

Biographical Details

Sir Bryan Carsberg

Sir Bryan Carsberg has had a distinguished academic and business career. He was professor of accounting and business finance and dean of the Faculty of Economic and Social Studies at Manchester University, before becoming professor of accounting at the London School of Economics from 1981 to 1984.

He has served in a number of high-profile positions in public office, including Director General of Oftel (the former telecommunications regulator) from 1984 to 1992, Director General of the Office of Fair Trading from 1992 to 1995 and Secretary General of the International Accounting Standards Committee from 1995 to 2001.

He received his knighthood in 1989.

Sir Bryan Carsberg is currently Chairman of Council and Pro-Chancellor of Loughborough University. He holds a number of non-executive board appointments. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Sally Davis

Sally Davis was appointed as BT’s Chief Portfolio Officer in May 2005. She had previously held several senior executive roles within BT since joining the company in 1999. Before joining BT, Sally Davis held leading roles in several major communications companies, including Bell Atlantic in the US and Mercury Communications in the UK.

Stephen Pettit

Stephen Pettit is a non-executive director of National Grid plc, National Air Traffic Services and Halma plc. He is Chairman of ROK Property Solutions plc. He is a former executive director of Cable & Wireless plc. Before joining Cable & Wireless, he was Chief Executive, Petrochemicals at British Petroleum. Stephen Pettit was previously a non-executive director of KBC Advanced Technologies plc and Norwood Systems Limited.

Dr Peter Radley

Dr Peter Radley has been the Chair of the IEE Communications Sector Panel since its creation in November 2002. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Dr Radley has been involved in the telecommunications industry since 1965. Between 1991 and 2002 he held positions in Alcatel with global responsibility for technology and marketing and as Chairman and CEO for Alcatel UK. He is one of the players in realising 'Broadband Britain', being involved from the start of the government's initiatives through the Broadband Stakeholder Group. Since 2002 he has been an independent advisor to a number of commercial organisations and to public sector bodies including the DTI and South East England Development Agency. During that period he has also been chairman of technology start-up companies in the domains of broadband, IP and mobile.

Carl G Symon

Carl Symon was appointed a Non-Executive Director of BT Group plc on 14 January 2002. He retired from IBM in May 2001 after a 32-year career, during which he held senior executive positions in the USA, Canada, Latin America, Asia and Europe, including chairman and chief executive officer of IBM UK.

Carl Symon is chairman of a number of private companies and a non-executive director of Rolls-Royce and Rexam. Carl Symon is a US national.

BT Group plc