New Chairman

BT Group PLC
19 February 2007


DC07-089                                                      February 19, 2007


               BT APPOINTS SIR MICHAEL RAKE AS ITS NEXT CHAIRMAN


BT is delighted to announce the appointment of its next chairman. Sir Michael
Rake, the current chairman of KPMG International will succeed Sir Christopher
Bland in September 2007.

Sir Michael is one of the world's most experienced and influential accountants.
KPMG is among the world's leading accountancy firms. It has a global fee income
of $17 billion. It is represented in 148 countries and employs 113,000 people,
including 7,000 partners. Sir Michael has played a pivotal role in growing the
company's business around the world. He will bring extensive international
experience to BT as it continues to expand its global business.

Sir Michael said today: "I am thrilled to be joining a company which has
achieved so much in recent years and has such ambition for the future. Sir
Christopher Bland has done a magnificent job setting BT on a secure financial
footing and developing a strategy for the future. Ben Verwaayen leads an
outstanding team. I look forward to working closely with him, the board and my
new colleagues. I feel extremely enthusiastic about helping to build upon the
success of a company which has already given Britain a position of international
leadership in broadband availability and has established itself as a world
leader in networked IT services."

Welcoming the appointment, Sir Christopher said: "On behalf of the board I am
delighted to be handing over the chairmanship of BT to such a distinguished
international businessman. Michael has demonstrated outstanding leadership of a
major global organisation during a time of considerable turbulence and change. I
have every confidence that he will bring those same qualities of leadership to
BT."

Ben Verwaayen added: "I congratulate Michael on his outstanding achievement at
KPMG. I am excited at the prospect of working together with him at BT. We have
accomplished a great deal, but there is still much more work to be done building
BT's global presence and ensuring that the UK stays at the forefront of the
broadband revolution. Throughout his career Michael has demonstrated both
dynamism and vision. These are qualities that will help BT succeed through the
next phase of its transformation."

Sir Michael is the chairman of Business in the Community, and is on the Board of
the Prince of Wales' International Business Leaders Forum. He is a governor of
Wellington College.

He is 59 years old, is married with four children, and lives in Henley.


Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its
 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369. All
  news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.bt.com/newscentre



About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions and
services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include networked
IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and
higher-value broadband and internet products and services. BT consists
principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail
and BT Wholesale.


In the year ended 31 March 2006, BT Group plc's revenue was £19,514 million with
profit before taxation of £2,040 million.


British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and
encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is
listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.


For more information, visit www.bt.com/aboutbt




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