Lord Ian Livingston, the former BT boss and former trade minister, is joining the board of FTSE 100 utility National Grid as a non-executive director, reports Rachel Millard.
The 56-year-old has had a long career at the top of British business, becoming the youngest FTSE 100 finance boss when he took on the role at Dixons Group in 1996.
He joined BT in 2002 and was promoted to chief executive in 2008, investing heavily in new infrastructure amid the rise of the internet.
Paula Rosput Reynolds, National Grid’s chairman, said that experience would be helpful as National Grid, which owns the main electricity networks and gas pipes, helps overhaul the energy system in the push to tackle climate change, including coping with millions of electric cars and changes to domestic heating.
“When one considers the tremendous changes in technology and infrastructure that took place in telecommunications, Ian brings an invaluable perspective to the challenges and opportunities of the journey to net zero [carbon emissions],” she said.
National Grid is undergoing major changes amid the national effort to slash carbon emissions and move towards renewable energy.
It is selling off a majority stake in its gas network and buying England’s largest electricity distribution business, Western Power Distribution (WPD), from its US owner PPL.
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