For most of us, telecommunications infrastructure is largely invisible—only noticed when something goes wrong and we lose Wi-Fi or phone signal. Allison Kirkby wants to change that.
As CEO of BT, the Most Powerful Women honoree is overseeing one of the biggest infrastructure transformations in the U.K., from fiber expansion to the country’s shift away from legacy landlines. But she is also trying to make a deeply technical business feel culturally relevant again.
This ambition is what lies behind BT’s growing number of major sporting partnerships, most recently with UEFA. For Kirkby, these flagship moments that bring together millions of people are more than simple branding exercises; they are live demonstrations of the power and reliability of the digital networks underpinning modern life.
66Allison Kirkby’s rank on Most Powerful Women
“We’ve always been the connectivity providers,” she says. “From the 2012 Olympics to the Queen’s funeral—these are big events that unite the nation. It’s a great way to show people: ‘if an organization like UEFA trusts them to run safe, secure, resilient connectivity for these massive events, then I trust them as well.’”
