Analyst talks to ... Ian Livingston

Ian Livingston became chief executive of BT Group at the beginning of June. He was previously chief executive of BT Retail.

Hi Ian. So how do you see BT’s mobility strategy going forward?

It will continue to be about the services we offer rather than the technology we use. Our customers don’t need to care about the technology. We bring together the ‘best of the best’ technology and provide it to them on a global basis. Critically, we can integrate the mobile services we offer into the rest of the managed services we provide.

Our strategy is all about starting with the customer requirement and then working back to how that requirement is met rather than the traditional way which many providers opt for – starting with a product and then working their way forward.

And what’s your vision for BT’s global presence? Is BT an international organisation or a global one?

We’re a global company. But if we are, as some might think, still in transition from being an international business to a global one, then I’d say we’re a lot more advanced on that journey than pretty much all of our competitors. My vision is that we will continue to service our customers with a global presence on a global basis. It’s all about their global requirements. A major advantage to us is the fact that we’re making huge inroads in rationalising our delivery platforms and integrating our acquisitions - enabling us to continue to increase our global capabilities.

Are we getting closer to seeing BT investing in a fibre network?

I’d like to think so. What’s critical is the removal of the regulatory roadblocks that would prevent us from seeing fair returns. So the first step is to navigate these regulatory elements. Then we can begin to look more closely at what customers want and what BT can develop and provide.

Are you as enthusiastic as your predecessor Ben was about customer service?

Absolutely. Customer service remains our number one priority. In my view we have the best customer service in the industry, and most of the surveys that are carried out seem to agree. But that’s still not good enough.

The next 12 to 18 months will see us making a significant investment in improving customer service and addressing why things go wrong. Let’s be realistic, most of the time, things actually go right. But when they do go wrong, it disrupts people’s lives and we recognise that. So finding out the reasons as to why things go wrong is really important. We will also make the development of improved systems and processes a priority. Putting our best people where they are needed to solve problems is another priority.

I believe that over the next year or so we’re going to see some substantial improvements. In fact, we’re already noticing a drop in the number of complaints and an improvement in customer satisfaction numbers. Our focus on getting things right first time more often is really beginning to work.

BT occupies a leadership position when it comes to innovation. Do you plan to keep the innovation ball rolling?

For sure. We will continue to be innovative and it will all be based around the customer. It’s important to understand that innovation is not just something created in one of our labs. For us, it’s about bringing the best services from around the world to our customers. BT’s Open Innovation strategy does just that by enabling our customers to benefit from the innovation of others that can be developed on our platform.

Finally Ian, are you excited about BT’s association with the 2012 London Olympics?

Yes I am. The Olympics is a very global brand and BT is a global brand. It’s a great fit. And while I’m excited about what we plan to do from an infrastructure point of view for the London Olympics I’m also really looking forward to taking our staff and our customers on an Olympic journey over the next four years. It’s going to be a thrill.

Ian Livingston's biography.