Women increase leadership in UK telecoms as Openreach appoints new CEO

Katie Milligan has been named chief executive of Openreach, joining other recent female leaders at BT and Vodafone; Openreach is advancing fibre roll-out to 25 million homes and awaits Ofcom deliberations on further expansion.

Katie Milligan has been appointed chief executive of Openreach, the infrastructure arm of BT. She replaces Clive Selley, who will become chief executive of BT International. Milligan joined BT as a graduate trainee in 2004 and served as Openreach's deputy chief executive, overseeing a new commercial and pricing strategy. Her appointment follows earlier leadership changes at BT and Vodafone, where Allison Kirkby and Margherita Della Valle lead their companies. What is known: - Katie Milligan, 44, has been named chief executive of Openreach; she joined BT in 2004 and was previously Openreach deputy chief executive. - Clive Selley will move from Openreach to become chief executive of BT International. - Allison Kirkby has led BT since 2024 and Margherita Della Valle has led Vodafone since 2023, leaving several major UK telecoms firms with female leaders. - Openreach expects to have extended superfast fibre broadband to 25 million homes by the end of this year; any expansion to 30 million homes depends on deliberations with the regulator Ofcom. - The article reports Openreach employs about 28,000 people and has been valued in some estimates at up to about £30 billion in potential spin-out scenarios; BT's market capitalisation is noted at £19.7 billion. - The sector faces rivalry from around 100 so-called 'alt-nets' start-ups, many backed by private equity, and analysts in the piece say wider adoption of artificial intelligence is forecast to raise industry revenues. Summary: Katie Milligan's promotion adds to a pattern of female leadership at major UK telecom companies, which an industry source said could strengthen their collective voice. Openreach is concentrating on completing current fibre upgrades while awaiting Ofcom's decision on whether rollout will expand further. The report also places the appointment in the context of market valuations and the potential revenue impact from increased AI adoption.