Ex-BT chief Alcatel boss

Sep 3 2008 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

FORMER BT chief executive Ben Verwaayen is the new boss of troubled telecoms equipment firm Alcatel- Lucent.

Mr Verwaayen, who takes on his new role with immediate effect, will be hoping to match his success at BT, where he worked as chief executive for six years and earned praise for leading a recovery in the UK company’s fortunes.

The world’s largest maker of fixed-line telecommunications equipment also named former EADS joint chief executive Philippe Camus as non-executive chairman.

The company has reported losses in every quarter since Alcatel bought Lucent Technologies in 2006.