Porter poised for top job in BT shake-up

Angus Porter, marketing director of BT UK Markets, is tipped to be promoted to a key role within the telecoms giant as it restructures in to six new businesses.

BT insiders believe Porter, who joined BT a year ago from Mars UK, is in line to win a promotion in the company reorganisation.

Porter reports to BT UK Markets managing director Peter Macleod, who in turn reports to BT UK chief executive Sir Peter Bonfield.

The restructure will result in the BT UK Markets fixed-line business being split between wholesale and retail divisions.

Paul Reynolds has been appointed as managing director of the wholesale business, but the retail division is the only one of the six businesses which has yet to appoint its managing director. Porter could be in line for this role.

There may also be an opening for Porter to become BT’s marketing supremo overseeing the six new divisions – the wholesale and retail arms, and the four new businesses Yell (directories and e-commerce), Ignite (Internet broadband services), BT Openworld (online and interactive TV) and BTWireless (mobile telephony).

Each of the six divisions will have separate marketing teams, and possibly heads of marketing.

A BT insider said that to link Porter with the retail managing director’s job is purely speculative, but admits there will a group marketing role. Porter was out of the country as Marketing Week went to press.

BT announced the restructure last month after shareholder pressure to unlock value by increasing transparency. BT plans to spin off Yell in a separate division and the other new businesses are expected to follow.