Making an impact in his first 90 days running the embattled BT Global Services arm is the former finance director Hanif Lalani, given the task by boss Ian Livingston of taking “decisive action” to turn round the business – and swinging the axe.

The affable 46-year-old, whose successor is yet to be appointed, will keep responsibility for BT’s complex pension problems.

Since being appointed to the Global Services top job last month to replace Francois Barrault, Mr Lalani has been juggling his new role and the finance job, working on weekends and late into the night.

He has a reputation for being calm under pressure but his family is likely to see even less of him as he heads off to see customers across Europe, US and Asia.

Born in Uganda, Mr Lalani’s family – his father a coffee plantation manager and mother a farm worker – moved to Yorkshire in 1972 when Asians were expelled by Idi Amin. He studied maths, operations research and economics at Essex University and joined BT in 1983.

He received an OBE for his time at BT Northern Ireland in the 1990s. In 2005 he became finance director, winning wide support among institutional investors and analysts.

A keen Leeds United fan, he is wistful about his three children siding with Chelsea, Man United and Spurs.

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