Philip Jansen
British businessman (born 1967)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philip Eric Rene Jansen (born January 1967)[1] is a British businessman and the former chief executive of BT from February 2019 to January 2024. He has been the chair of WPP plc since September 2024.
Philip Jansen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 January 1967[1] United Kingdom[1] |
| Education | University College Cardiff |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Title | Ex-CEO, BT Group |
| Term | February 2019- January 2024 |
| Predecessor | Gavin Patterson |
| Successor | Allison Kirkby |
| Spouse | Married |
| Children | 5 |
Early life
Jansen attended St George's College, Weybridge, and has a bachelor's degree in economics from University College Cardiff.[2]
Career
In 2010, Jansen joined Brakes Group as CEO, having been chief operations officer of Sodexo.[3]
Following the Worldpay IPO in 2015 by its then private equity owners, Bain Capital and Advent International, Jansen was due to receive £50 million.[4]
On 19 September 2018, Worldpay announced that Jansen would step down at the end of the year.[5]
On 25 October 2018 he was announced as the new chief executive of BT with effect from 1 February 2019, succeeding Gavin Patterson.[6]
During his tenure at BT Group, an industrial dispute began with the CWU due to pay and working conditions.[7] This led to a strike ballot where 91.5% of BT, 95.8% of Openreach and 95.5% of EE CWU members who took part in the ballot voted to strike.[8] During the dispute, some employees and commentators referred to him as “Foodbank Phil”.[9]
In July 2023, it was announced that Jansen would be stepping down as chief executive of BT within the next 12 months.[10]
In July 2024, Jansen was announced as the chair of WPP.[11][12] He formally joined the company's board in September 2024.[11]
Personal life
Jansen is married, with five children, and lives in west London.
