New BT regional director pledges “huge” boost for the South East
The new regional director for BT in the South East today pledged the company would make “a huge contribution” to the future success of the region.
Business development director Dave Axam, 49, will be leading the BT South East regional board and directing BT’s activities to ensure the company remains one of the region’s leading investors and employers. Among the company’s achievements in the South East is the creation of a high-speed fibre broadband network already available to more than 3 million homes and businesses, which is continuing to grow rapidly.
He said: “We have a huge contribution to make to the region. BT has made a multi-million pound commercial investment in fibre broadband and has already brought high-speed internet access to more than 3 million South East homes and businesses.
“And there is a lot more to come. Working with our partners in fibre broadband partnerships across the region, we are going much further and making this exciting technology available to even more communities.
“As the South East Regional director, I am determined to help everyone in our region enjoy the benefits of faster broadband speeds. Faster broadband will help local businesses grow, attracting inward investment and boosting the local economy, and offer new training and leisure opportunities for households.
“BT is also a major employer in the region - employing more than 10,000 local people and boosting the area’s economy by millions of pounds every year.”
Axam added: “BT also has a long history of supporting worthy causes. We have helped South East communities by last year investing £13 million in charity and voluntary programmes spread around the region. This year, BT also announced that it intends to recruit 250 more engineers in the South East and to create 40 new places for apprentices and graduates.
Axam started as a BT transmission engineer more than 30 years ago and has had a varied career working in sales, product development and as a former director of transformation for BT Design. He is particularly passionate about improving education and is the Chair of governors at Ash Manor School which is a secondary school with over one thousand pupils just converting to academy status in Ash, Surrey.
He is keen to combine his knowledge of business and technology to benefit the South East, where he has lived all his life.
His current role as business development director for BT Wholesale sees him generating a multi-billion pound managed services business, developing mobile networks, fibre broadband and creating bespoke network solutions.
With a background in engineering and a diploma in management studies from Portsmouth University, Axam says he is committed to helping the region’s citizens make the most of technology and to give the South East a competitive advantage.
Axam is a former canoeist and lifeguard with the Royal Lifesaving Society, which he admits fed his need for adrenalin.
Axam, lives in Surrey, is married with three children and is also a keen amateur astronomer.
South East quick facts
• 3 million - More than 3 million South East homes and businesses already have access to high-speed internet
• 10,000 - BT employs more than 10,000 local people in the region
• £13 million - BT invested £13 million to charity and voluntary programmes in the region last year.
• 250 - BT recently announced it was to recruit another 250 engineers in the South East plus 40 new apprentices and graduates.
