News
Allera will be replaced by telecoms veteran Claire Gillies from April next year
EE CEO Marc Allera has announced that he will step down from the role at the end of March next year, having spent nine years with BT Group.
In a statement, Allera said he was “proud to have led an incredible team through enormous change in the market” over the past nine years.
“In that time we have transformed every aspect of our operations to deliver great service to our 25m customers across the UK, with everything they need for our fast-moving world of technology. We’ve created a fantastic platform for growth, and I wish Claire the very best for the future,” he said. “While I’m looking forward to the next chapter, I’ll be leaving with great memories of my time at BT and EE, and want to thank every single one of my colleagues who has contributed to our success together.”
BT CEO Allison Kirkby described Allera as an “outstanding leader”, thanking him for his years of service as well as his support over the past year as she transitioned into the CEO role.
Allera has yet to announce his next professional role, saying in a LinkedIn post that it is “the right time for me to move on to a new chapter in my career, and a new challenge. I’ll let you know what that is when the time is right.”
Commenting on the move, analysts highlighted Allera’s many achievements at BT/EE, praising his leadership and strategic guidance.
“He has overseen the first UK commercial launches of 3G (at Three UK), 4G (at EE) and 5G (at BT/EE), surely a unique triple. Among his other achievements he managed that rare thing, a (rightly) widely-regarded-as-successful large scale telecoms merger/integration with BT and EE, a deftly handled exit from BT Sport, and has navigated seemingly endless regulatory pricing rule changes with ease,” said James Barford, Head of Telecoms at Enders Analysis in a LinkedIn post.
“I’m really proud to have led my incredible team through enormous changes in our market, constantly evolving and adapting our company at every stage of the journey. From the creation of EE 12 years ago, the integration of EE with BT, our launch into gaming and new verticals, and most recently our joint venture in sport with Warner Bros Discovery are just some of the major moves I am proud to have been part of and led the team through,” he said.
“This should not come as a huge surprise as it has been on the cards for some time. Arguably there is not much left for him to do,” said telco analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight. “He has successfully managed numerous transitions of brands and platforms, most recently spearheading the new EE as the consumer facing brand for the company. Played a key role in offloading assets like BT Sport and reshaping consumer to be a driving force for future growth. The unit is in a far better position which will need tweaks here and there for the successor.”
Allera is set to be replaced by Claire Gillies, a telecoms veteran of 23 years, whose most recent role was as President of Bell Canada’s Wireless and Consumer Divisions.
“I am beyond excited to take this role at such an important British company. BT and EE are two of the UK’s most iconic brands leading the industry and connecting people to the things that really matter. I can’t wait to join Allison and the broader BT team as we pursue our mission to become the UK’s most trusted connector of people, devices and machines.”
Allera will remain in the role to aid in the transition until March 31 next year, with Gillies formally set to take over the role on April 1.
The UK’s telecoms landscape is changing rapidly. Join the operators in discussion at Connected North 2025 live in Manchester
Also in the news:
Sweden asks Chinese ship to return for investigation after Baltic Sea cable damage
Australia regulator dishes out midband spectrum for private networks
BT unveils new managed SASE service