The chairman of Openreach, Mike McTighe, has emerged as the leading contender to head Ofcom.
It followed the failed attempt to install Boris Johnson’s preferred candidate Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail, as chairman of the media and telecoms regulator. At the time an independent panel led by a senior civil servant found that he was “not appointable” amid a political storm that led to Mr Dacre withdrawing from the process last November.
The Daily Telegraph reported Friday that the process is being led by Sue Gray, the senior civil servant also investigating Downing Street parties.
Mr McTighe became the first independent chairman of BT’s network arm in 2016, following a row between BT and third-party operators over the lack of investment in the body, which led to Ofcom imposing a “legal separation” of the company.
Prior to Openreach, Mr McTighe spent 8 years on the board of Ofcom and is credited with improving the performance of Openreach and the relationship with its telco customers.