Investment firm BGF has appointed the former chief executive of BT Group as non-executive chair.
Ian Livingston, a Conservative member of the House of Lords, will assume the role of BGF chair from January 2024.
In addition to BT, Livingston has previously held leadership roles at Dixons Group, Currys and private equity firm 3i.
The Scottish businessman has also served as the UK government’s minister of state for trade and investment
Andy Gregory, CEO of BGF, said Livingston has “an extraordinary track record and a depth of experience”.
Acting BGF chair Neil Johnson will resume the role of deputy chair and plans to step down from the board in the summer of 2024.
“I am proud to be joining the board of BGF, an organisation with a clear purpose, which plays such a critical role in offering long-term investment for growth companies across the UK and Ireland,” said Livingston.
BGF, or the Business Growth Fund, is an active tech investor across Britain. In 2022 the fund invested £69m into early-stage UK and Ireland tech companies with a particular focus on deep tech and life sciences.
It has backed the likes of autonomous vehicle software developer Oxbotica and hydrogen startup Bramble Energy.
In the UK BGF has various offices including a presence in Newcastle, Belfast, Reading, Cardiff and Leeds.