New chief executive for BT Innovate and Design

Clive Selley is to become the new chief executive of BT Innovate and Design, the division of BT responsible for network and platform development together with long-term technology strategy and research.

Selley replaces Al-Noor Ramji who is leaving BT at the end of March to run the banking division of software company Misys plc.

Ramji has spent six years with BT driving significant change in the company. He helped to bring IT into the mainstream at BT and led the introduction of agile development techniques and Right First Time measures.

Selley, who will report into Ian Livingston, BT chief executive, has substantial experience gained across the different parts of BT. He has played a key role in transforming BT’s networks and platforms over the years and is currently president, Portfolio and Service Design at BT Global Services. Selley will also become BT Group chief information officer.

Selley said: “Innovate and Design is at the heart of BT and so I am delighted to take on this new role. My job is to ensure that BT is quicker in developing new services and getting them to market, that development costs are reduced and, above all, that the customer experience is constantly improved. BT is increasingly becoming a software company and I look forward to helping BT embrace the cloud era.”

Formed in 2007 Innovate and Design were combined last year in order to support BT’s customer facing businesses. Around 17,000 people work in the division with staff located across the world.

The division is responsible for BT’s laboratories at Adastral Park, near Ipswich, and also conducts research with leading universities across the globe.