Beginning his career as a graduate trainee at the telecommunications company BT Group, over the next three decades Lalani worked his way through a series of managerial and financial roles before eventually moving into some of the top executive positions for the company, including finance director of BT Group and chief executive officer of its subsidiary BT Global Services. Early life and education
Lalani was born in 1962 in Uganda. His mother and father were both entrepreneurs and until the age of ten he grew up in an affluent household in the African country. However, in 1972 his parents fled the country as Idi Amin Dada Oumee’s regime grew in power, moving their family to the United Kingdom with only a single suitcase of their belongings. Settling in a council house in Yorkshire, Lalani and his family worked hard to assimilate with their new culture and face the challenges of immigration head-on. He attended Wetherby High School where he worked hard to achieve in both academics and sport, and in 1980 after completing his A Levels he was accepted to the University of Essex. Lalani studied mathematics, operations research and economics at the University of Essex, graduating with honors from the university in 1983. Business career
After graduating from the University of Essex, Lalani was offered a position as a graduate recruit in BT Group’s international division. The company was in the midst of preparing for the passing of the Telecommunications Act and its subsequent privatization at the time, and over the next fifteen years Lalani worked in various positions for the company as it completed the transition and built out a new business model. In 1998, Lalani moved his young family across the sea to Northern Ireland, where he was made finance director for BT Group’s growing sector there. Within a year he was promoted to chief executive officer of BT’s Northern Ireland division and was also appointed as chairman of Ocean Communications, the joint venture between BT Group and Ireland’s state-owned electricity company the Electric Supply Board. In the role, Lalani helped the newly-formed company gain traction in its first years of business while also building out the company’s overall position in Northern Ireland. Lalani returned to England in 2002, moving to London for the chief finance officer role at BT Group’s Wholesale Division. The branch of the business responsible for all of BT Group’s telecoms infrastructure, Lalani shepherded the company through the implementation of its 21st Century Network (21CN) data and voice network transformation project. Through his strategic planning, the program was able to move BT Group’s telephone network from the PTSN to an IP system, preparing the company for the future prevalence of the internet in telecommunications. In 2005, Lalani was made finance director of BT Group. Joining the board of directors and operating committee for the company, in the role he reduced costs by £65 million and streamlined its operational structure, becoming known for his ability to solve problems and drive financial results. During his time in the role he also oversaw the company’s £35 billion pension fund and created a new regulatory compliance policy for the entire company. When BT Global Services, the division of the company that provides global security, cloud and networking services, was forced to write off more than £2 billion in 2002 due to overly-optimistic assumptions made on large international contracts, Lalani was called in to correct course. As chief executive officer for the branch he focused on realistic improvements, taking things quarter by quarter to reach goals and was able to better position the business financially as a result. In 2010, Lalani left BT Group and became investment ambassador for Northern Ireland, the first person to hold the title. The role was created to help make Northern Ireland more attractive to potential investors, and Lalani’s previous experience working in the country while also working in finance in London gave him the unique perspective needed for the position. He is also currently working on projects with mobile network operators in the Middle East. Philanthropy
Lalani has expressed his passion for encouraging young entrepreneurs and those wishing to enter finance and business careers. He has dedicated his time and money to various projects supporting this, including providing financing for his alma mater the University of Essex to build a Business Incubation Centre in the Research and Enterprise Office. The facility provides students with a risk-free environment in which they can flesh out and test their ideas for businesses while also preparing them for entrepreneurial and financial challenges that may be faced in the future. Awards and recognition
Lalani has been recognized internationally for his work at BT Group. He was named at number 30 on the Institute of Asian Professionals’ Muslim Power 100 list, and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) awarded him “Finance Director of the Year.”
Quotes
“If you rise to a challenge and have a habit of delivering, people can see the capabilities you have
and they will find you if there’s a job to be done.”
Personal life
Lalani is a fan of Leeds United Football Club, and has expressed his love for Bollywood films. He is married with three children.
