CityFibre appoints Steve Holliday as Chairman

Former CEO of National Grid plc brings wealth of experience in delivering national utility infrastructure projects CityFibre, the UK’s leading alternative provider of wholesale full fibre infrastructure, today announced it has appointed Steve Holliday as Non-Executive Chairman. Mr Holliday is the former Chief Executive Officer of National Grid plc where he served from 2007 to 2016. He was a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer from 2004 to 2014 and the Defra Lead Non-Executive Director between 2016 and 2017. Mr Holliday will join CityFibre’s board immediately to support Chief Executive Officer Greg Mesch and recently appointed Group Chief Operating Officer Simon Holden, as the business continues to establish itself as the UK’s third national digital network. Underpinned by its £2.5bn Gigabit City investment programme, CityFibre is rolling out a new generation of wholesale Gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure to more than five million homes and businesses by 2025. “The Government’s target for national full fibre coverage by 2025 is an ambitious ask but CityFibre is ready to play its part, connecting more than 20% of the market in that time. Full fibre network infrastructure is fast becoming the next essential utility, underpinning the UK’s competitiveness on a world stage. As we continue to scale at pace, Steve is uniquely positioned to support us, providing deep insight into the challenges of delivering national infrastructure programmes and bringing his extensive experience of operating a national utility to bear.” says Greg Mesch, CEO at CityFibre. Speaking about his appointment, Steve Holliday added: “The UK is undergoing a digital infrastructure revolution with full fibre roll-out well underway. As we have seen in other utility industries, the emergence of new players has greatly improved outcomes for consumers and is the key catalyst for a more vibrant and innovative market. CityFibre is perfectly positioned to establish itself as a key contributor to national full fibre coverage and I look forward to working with the team to successfully manage and deploy this exciting and complex project.”