Hester on shortlist to be next BT chairman

THE former boss of Royal Bank of Scotland is a candidate to be the next chairman of BT.

Stephen Hester ( pictured) is understood to be on a shortlist to replace Jan du Plessis, who is leaving this summer after reportedly clashing with chief executive Philip Jansen over the pace of change at the telecoms giant which is in the midst of a huge rollout of fibre broadband across the UK.

His replacement will have to deal with a new top investor, after tycoon Patrick Drahi’s Altice built up a 12.1pc stake.

Other names linked to the BT role, which is one of the City’s most prestigious jobs, include exBBC Trust chief Rona Fairhead, former ITV boss Adam Crozier and ex-Barclays UK chairman Sir Ian Cheshire.

Hester, 60, succeeded Fred ‘the Shred’ Goodwin at RBS in 2008 and is credited with pulling the bank back from the brink in the wake of the financial crisis.

He also revived scandal- hit RSA Insurance Group in 2014. He has been linked with chief executive jobs at HSBC and Barclays but has expressed an interest in taking on a chairmanship.