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BT's ecommerce director defects to BSkyB

By Sally Watson

Published: Tuesday 12 October 1999

John Swingewood, former director of Internet and multimedia services at BT, is to head-up BSkyB's new media content and technologies division, in a move likely to shock his ex-employer.

The announcement comes only days after Swingewood's sudden departure from the telco. In his new post at Sky, Swingewood will be responsible for the content and development of broadband, Internet, mobile phone and other new media technologies.

Michael Walton, CEO of Internet consultancy NVision, said: "I'm not surprised he has moved. There are tremendous opportunities at BSkyB - much broader than those that BT can offer. Sky is much faster moving and entrepreneurial."

According to BT, the parting was amicable. "John has been with BT for 27 years - and in multimedia for two years - and a lot has happened in those two years. He's leaving to pursue other challenges," a spokesman said.

But one industry source, who did not want to be named, claimed there were conflicts within the company: "They're clearing out the [ecommerce] department. The bottom line is that Ian Morphett, MD of products and solutions, and Bill Coburn, MD of BT UK, don't understand role of a telco in the ecommerce market."

Eric Guilloteau, general manager of ebusiness, who worked closely with Swingewood, also left at the beginning of August.

BT's spokesman admitted the company will miss Swingewood but said the company hoped to appoint a high-profile replacement soon. "John made sure there were good people in the business working under him, and they are still there. We will continue to go from strength to strength - we haven't lost our enthusiasm," he said.

But according to NVision's Walton, the resignation leaves a hole in BT's ecommerce strategy. "Unless they can find a decent replacement, someone of Swingewood's calibre, they will be in trouble. And there will inevitably be other departures."