BT appoints replacement chairman

BT has appointed Sir Michael Rake, the chairman of accountancy firm KPMG International, to succeed Sir Christopher Bland as chairman. He will take over in September 2007.

Rake has overseen KPMG’s international growth and helped to grow its global income to $17m. The company is represented in 148 countries. He is also chairman of Business in the Community and on the board of Prince of Wales’ International Business Leaders Forum.

Rake says: "I feel extremely enthusiastic about helping to build upon the success of a company that has already given Britain a position of international leadership in broadband availability and has a established itself as a world leader in networked IT services."