New BT boss is seen as safe pair of hands – but there’s trouble down the line

BT faces an inclement climate, with threats from alternative network operators. Photograph: Simon Dawson/Reuters

Anyone looking at BT’s share price last week – languishing at a quarter of its 2016 high – might have thought that the job for the telecoms company’s new leader would be a straightforward turnaround. Yet the message from Allison Kirkby as she prepares to move from the boardroom to the executive suite was clear: she is a continuity candidate.

“I’m fully supportive of our strategy and am excited about leading it into its next phase of development,” she said in a statement to the stock market on Monday morning.