Category: Media Centre > News (Global)

Local students who want to launch their careers in an exciting industry are being invited to join one of the New Talent schemes run by JT. Following on from National Apprenticeship Week last month and now National Careers Week, JT is looking for students in the Channel Islands who want to make a great start to their career by gaining a professional qualification and earning while they learn.

Sixteen apprentices, bursaries and graduates are currently receiving on-the-job training, moving through various parts of the business so that they get the opportunity to see everything that the communications provider does. JT are also sponsoring a scholarship with the Jersey College for Girls foundation and will shortly be welcoming students on placement as part of their HND in computing qualification.

Sarah Gosiewska, Head of Talent at JT, said: “We are a rapidly evolving global business, committed to growing talented local people who we want to see achieving great success. It doesn’t matter whether they are starting from scratch or already have an idea about what their career might look like, the beauty of our New Talent schemes is that they help people identify the areas within the business they enjoy – helping them to grow in confidence and recognise where their strengths lie.  Each new starter is trusted to work in real workplace situations, knowing they have a network of people dedicated to supporting their growth. I love seeing how they thrive alongside our experienced teams.”

JT started the scheme in 2011 and are pleased to have seen a year on year increase in the diversity of applicants. Applications for new candidates closes 10^th April.

Sarah added: “We want to hear from creative, organised, can-do local people who are getting ready for the world of work and have a genuine interest in digital technology. This is a fast paced industry so they must be willing to learn and work as part of a team. We firmly believe that learning should not stop just because formal education has.”

A senior financial professional with over 25 years’ experience in the telecoms industry is the latest to join the JT Board as a Non-Executive Director.

Louise Easterbrook is the Chief Financial Officer of GSMA where she is responsible for overseeing the business and financial performance of the association, which represents mobile network operators around the world and hosts the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event, MWC. At GSMA, Louise leads a team of over 100 people managing all aspects of Finance, Legal, HR, IT, Project Services and Facilities.

Louise is also the Treasurer of GSMA’s Mobile for Development Foundation Board, set up to oversee a wide range of activities where mobile technology can provide solutions to development challenges for underserved communities.

Her career has included several senior roles at Vodafone and Cable & Wireless, including  Regional Financial Controller, Africa at Vodafone and Group Director, Investor Relations at Cable & Wireless.

Meriel Lenfestey, Chair of the JT Board said: “Louise is a well-known and respected professional within the telecoms industry and her experience and connections will be a huge benefit, boosting JT’s voice and presence around the world. We have exciting plans as we continue to invest in our mobile networks and services and with Louise’s work in high growth markets, her appointment adds further strength to our Board. With a genuine passion for inspiring and encouraging young people, Louise’s mentoring skills will be of great benefit to us all and I am confident that her background and focus will play a key role in helping JT with its long-term ambitions.”

Louise is a qualified Chartered Accountant and will be a member of the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Louise Easterbrook added: “JT has built up a formidable reputation around the world for successful innovation and I am looking forward to helping the business as it takes further strides with its international activities. As a full-service global connectivity and business solutions provider, JT operates in an industry that’s changing rapidly, reaching into the lives of more people in the communities it serves as it delivers new products and technologies. It is a fascinating time to be joining the team and I am delighted to be working with such a great team of talented people.”

A team from JT is this week attending the world’s largest gathering of experts in technology and mobile connectivity. The Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona is the most influential event of its type and brings together global mobile network operators, device manufacturers, technology providers and all those with an interest in the future of tech.

As a business that uses technological innovation to benefit the communities it works in, the team from JT will see first-hand the latest equipment and systems and forging new partnerships with other like-minded companies and innovators.

Marcus Irwin, Head of Product Innovation at JT, said: “With more people and devices connected to the internet than ever before, the next decade will bring greater access to information and new forms of communication. MWC is the place to meet those who are leading change in our industry. It’s where you can network with tens of thousands of senior industry decision makers and witness how ideas become the next technology that will change our lives. We are always looking for ways to evolve our own mobile network so that it’s ready for the Channel Island’s expanding digital landscape.”

MWC Barcelona is on between 27th February and 2nd March and is organised by GSMA, the association that represents mobile operators around the world. Its partners include large multi-national corporations including Microsoft, Samsung and IBM.

Marcus added: “There have been some huge steps forward because of better connectivity. Technology is evolving all the time and we need to form partnerships with the innovators so that we can work on solutions to problems as well as identifying where technology can make our lives better, more efficient, and ever more connected. That’s why we’ll be there to meet those that share our desire to do the best we can for our communities and discuss how that should be delivered.”

The work that JT has done to improve inclusivity has been recognised by a leading organisation that promotes diverse teams and inclusive cultures in businesses all over the UK and across all sectors. JT has won a TIDE Bronze award for reaching the exacting standards set by the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.

TIDE (Talent, Inclusion and Diversity Evaluation) benchmarks and measures JT’s approach and progress against a robust framework. In the last twelve months JT’s TIDE score has jumped to 61% after making significant improvements to training and development and putting diversity and inclusion at the centre of its workplace culture.

Nicola Reeves, Group HR Director, said: “We got involved in the TIDE awards because we wanted to benchmark ourselves and set recognised targets so that we could truly make our workplace as inclusive as possible. Our people are critical to our success and deserve to work in a culture where everyone feels valued, empowered and inspired. Having respect for each other is a central part of what we do as an organisation, and our people feel encouraged to innovate and improve because they are listened to when they speak up.”

Being part of the TIDE process is about making continual improvements and JT will participate again next year to check on progress.

Sarah Gosiewska, JT Head of Talent, added: ‘’We have put a great deal of energy into improving our training across the business, and I am delighted that it was recognised as being one of the areas that had improved in 2022, which is thanks to the amazing people we have here – there is always more to do, but we are united in our longterm goals.”

JT has announced changes to its Executive Committee as the company moves forward with its ambitious strategy to transform and grow the business.

Katie Corbett is taking up a newly created role as Chief Commercial Officer, with Tom Noel moving to become JT’s Chief Product Officer, having spent two years as the Director of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability. Together they will ensure that customer experience and innovation is at the forefront of JT’s business, supporting  delivery of the transformational and growth strategy.

Following his appointment in April, Daragh McDermott, JT Group’s CEO, worked with the JT Board to review the structure of the Executive Committee and then went through a thorough process before deciding to appoint Katie and Tom to their new roles.

Daragh McDermott, CEO of JT Group, said: “There are a lot of benefits to taking a step back and carrying out a thorough health check of the team that lead the execution of the company’s strategy and with the support of the new Chair, Meriel Lenfestey, and the JT Board, this was the opportunity to do just that. Our strategy is the right one for our customers and our other wide set of stakeholders, and this has not changed. But we also have an ever changing set of challenges to manage, as we transform and grow, and the appointments of Katie and Tom to these new roles will ensure  greater freedom to drive our business forward with innovative new products and a focus on providing the very best service to our customers.”

Katie, has over 25 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry, beginning her career at JT in 2010 in the Corporate Sales Team. She will focus on commercial excellence, managing the commercial activities for all JT client engagement globally.

Katie Corbett said: “The hundreds of people that make up JT have faced extraordinary challenges over the last couple of years and along with so many other professionals, have worked extremely hard to overcome them. As a business, we are constantly reviewing how we manage our core activities and our people, and I believe the changes we are announcing will give many of them new opportunities to develop their careers and take this fantastic company forward. ”

Tom takes charge of the teams developing JT’s product range, and will also take on responsibility for growing JT’s Fraud Protection Services (FPS) business. Joining JT in 2015, he oversaw the newly formed JT International division and built up the IoT business which sold last year at a valuation of £200m.

Tom Noel added: “Our strategy to serve and give back to our communities hasn’t changed, but our leadership needs the tools to improve and progress. JT has seen many changes throughout its long history and while we are moving through these challenging times, customers expect us to adapt to changing economic and political landscapes, and to do so quickly. The plans we put in place over the coming months,  will ensure we continue to serve our customers, our people and our business well into the future.’’

The Board of the JT Group is pleased to announce Meriel Lenfestey has been appointed as its new Chair, taking over from Phil Male, who has held the position since 2018. Meriel has been a Director on the JT Board since 2016 and was its Senior Independent Director until this new appointment.

Meriel is a customer experience entrepreneur with experience across a wide range of business sectors. Her attention is always on the impact business decisions have on stakeholders, in the short and long term.

After completing a Masters degree from the Royal College of Art, she worked for Microsoft in Seattle and the BBC in London in the 1990s. She founded, grew and sold a pioneering Customer Experience Design agency in London over the next 19 years. Meriel currently chairs Gemserv, a professional services and consulting firm in the energy and low carbon market, is a Non-Executive Director for Boku, an AIM listed global leader in mobile payment solutions, Aurigny in Guernsey, and two FTSE 250 infrastructure funds. She holds voluntary Board roles with the Guernsey IoD, and Art for Guernsey.

Meriel has lived and raised a family in the Channel Islands over the past 18 years.

Daragh McDermott, CEO of JT Group, said: “With her experience in the Channel Islands, and long-standing role on the JT Board, Meriel is the ideal candidate to help guide JT forward, and deliver on our five-year strategy. Making sure we deliver the very best customer experience for the future is a key part of that strategy, and Meriel is ideally placed to lead that.

She is taking over from Phil Male who helped to steer JT through some huge developments including making Jersey the first place in the world to connect full fibre broadband to every property, followed by the creation and eventual sale of the IoT business. I would like to thank Phil for his leadership, support and considerable achievements.”

Meriel Lenfestey added: “I’m really looking forward to taking over as Chair from Phil and supporting JT as we deliver our new five-year strategy. JT is already making great strides in ensuring the needs of all our stakeholders are at the heart of everything we do, and I’ll be working closely with the team to develop that further.

As the Channel Islands’ only locally owned full service provider, JT’s mission is to connect our communities to their sustainable future, and that means putting the best digital technology at the heart of all we do. It’s a really exciting time in JT’s long history in the Channel Islands, with the development of new full-fibre broadband (in Guernsey) and mobile networks; I’ll be helping the executive team to nurture the immense talent we have at JT and helping our people to reach their full potential.”

JT is excited to announce that it has retained the highest level of accreditation from a global leader in business communications. JT was first awarded Mitel Platinum status in 2020 and is still the only telecoms company in the Channel Islands to have reached that level.

Platinum status is the highest accreditation available, making JT one of Mitel’s key partners and one of only 14 businesses across the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands to have ever received the accolade. Earlier this year JT was chosen as Mitel’s Innovation Partner of the Year after not only setting up its own state-of-the-art Mitel Contact centre but also for completing a world-class, multi-dimensional and complex migration process of IT systems for the Government of Guernsey.

James Singleton, Strategic Partnership Manager said: “We are really thrilled that Mitel continues to recognise  JT as one of its key partners, rewarding our commitment and the team’s genuine hard work. It means that once again our teams have met the highest level of expertise in delivering exceptional service to our customers. Together we have deployed, managed and supported many complex Mitel solutions across the Channel Islands. It’s thanks to the dedication of an exceptional team that not only are our customer’s communication needs in good hands but that world leaders such as Mitel distinguish us as an elite partner.”

Mitel services are found in businesses and organisations all over the world, providing a wide array of solutions, from simple business communications to sophisticated unified and collaborative communications, whether on-site or in the cloud.

Nick Riggott, UKISA Sales Director at Mitel, added: “We demand high standards from the channel partners we work with in our partnership programme and JT has shown its continued commitment to providing a service that surpasses most. They reached the Gold level in 2019 and then Platinum a year later. This achievement demonstrates that JT is a reliable highly-skilled partner with whom we built a strong and fruitful relationship to address current and future UC needs of businesses in the Channel Islands and beyond.”

Following a rigorous appointment process, the Board of JT Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Daragh McDermott as its new Chief Executive Officer, who takes over with immediate effect from Interim CEO John Diamond.

He has worked in JT for over 20 years, with a key role across all strategic decisions during that time, from the rollout of fibre to the creation and development of JT’s recently sold IoT business. The Board concluded that Daragh’s experience and deep understanding of the business made him the ideal person to lead the company into its next phase of development.

Chairman of the JT Group, Phil Male, commented: “JT has a proud tradition of developing its people, and it is with great pleasure that we have appointed Daragh to the role of Chief Executive Officer.

“He has an exceptional track record of service to JT and understands the business and the ambitious five-year strategy recently approved by the Board and our shareholder. We ran a thorough process, overseen by the Jersey Appointments Commission, and I am delighted that we are now able to announce Daragh’s successful appointment. He thoroughly deserves this opportunity and I am certain that our people, our customers and our stakeholders will join me in congratulating him.

“I would also like to thank John Diamond for his hard work as Interim CEO – his calm and incisive leadership has been a real asset to all at JT.”

Daragh McDermott added: “It is a huge privilege to step up to the position of CEO and to continue working with the fantastic team here in JT to take full advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead, as well as manage some significant challenges that are coming down the line. Central to this will be putting customers interests’ at the very heart of what we do, while continuing to invest heavily in the Channel Islands’ critical national infrastructure and rebuilding and growing our international portfolio. Our ambitious investment plans for the next five years will see JT invest in excess of £100m in our networks and I want to ensure this is done in a way that benefits both the wider economies that we serve and every single customer that will be making use of the reliable and robust world-class networks that we operate.”