Openreach Pick Garret Kavanagh to Lead UK Complex Engineering Unit

Network access provider Openreach (BT), which is currently busy investing £15bn to deploy Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband technology to 25 million UK premises by the end of 2026 (currently 21m premises passed), has today announced that they’ve promoted Garret Kavanagh to be their new Managing Director for Complex Engineering, effective April 2026.

Garret began his career as an engineering graduate at BT Group in 2006 and, since then, has built plenty of experience across a number of field operations and service delivery roles. For the past four years he has led Openreach’s Northern Ireland division, where he and the team have taken full fibre coverage to more than 90% of the country – one of the highest coverage levels anywhere in the UK.

Openreach’s website currently lists Andy Whale as their Chief Engineer and Managing Director of Complex Engineering, but after today’s news Andy will still retain the title of Chief Engineer, leading a team focused on engineering standards and innovation.

Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach, said:

“Garret’s been running our Northern Ireland team with distinction – so he’s more than ready to step into this critical role for Openreach. In Complex Engineering, Garret will focus on leading the team to finish the UK build, as we get into more complex, rural and remote areas. He will also continue to transform and enhance our Ethernet business – which provides critical connections for public and private sector customers all over the country.”

As part of these changes, Openreach Northern Ireland will also be moving from the Commercial unit to be hosted by Complex Engineering. The recruitment process for a new Director of Northern Ireland is already underway. Lauren McGaughey will continue to lead the team in an acting-Director capacity, a role she has held since Garett went on Family Leave in Spring 2025.