NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTC) yesterday announced the appointment of André Foster as the company’s chief executive officer effective March 1, 2021.
Foster is one of the youngest Bahamian CEOs in the company’s history, moving on from his most recent role as head of operations for BTC for the last nine months.
He is enjoying a stellar career within Cable & Wireless Communications, having served previously as vice president of enterprise, IT Services and Infrastructure. He was then brought in to BTC and held the role of chief operating officer from 2017 to 2018; then from 2018 to 2019 he held a regional role as senior director of technology operations, overseeing The Bahamas, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Foster is recognized as a pioneer in the telecommunications industry in The Bahamas, having designed and deployed the country’s first consumer broadband and commercial Metro Ethernet network while serving as senior vice president of IT at Cable Bahamas.
Outgoing BTC CEO Garry Sinclair said he is “confident in André’s ability to lead BTC at such a critical time in its history.”
“He will be focused on delivering some key wins for our residential and business customers as BTC continues to improve the customer experience journey. We’ve had the opportunity to discuss this transition with our team members and our union partners who are on board and fully committed to the company’s success,” he said.
Foster commented: “I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of BTC. BTC is the premier telecommunications provider of The Bahamas and has connected Bahamians across our beautiful archipelago for over a hundred years.
“I am humbled by this opportunity, particularly at such a crucial time where world events continue to highlight the criticality of communications and the transformation of this great company in our country.
“In recent years, we have set the stage to deliver impactful transformations for The Bahamas by embracing a more digital world. We will continue to serve our customers, wherever they are, through Virtual Stores with an on-demand concierge delivery, self-installation of our broadband customers and increased options for ease of bill payments.”
He added: “For BTC and our parent, Liberty Latin America, 2021 is the ‘Year of the Customer’, and I am focused on how we can continue to have a meaningful impact for our country and our customers. As a business, our team is fully committed to embracing the digital transition and supporting our customers through the transformation.
“This includes the retirement of legacy technologies for all of our customers in The Bahamas, which will be one of our most important missions in the coming decade. Whether our customer is in a densely populated community such as Carmichael Road, or a sparsely populated community like Farmer’s Cay, Exuma, we will continue to modernize and transform their services towards a better-connected future that will enrich their lives.
“Frankly, embracing and crossing the digital divide is no longer optional in today’s world. Pandemics and natural disasters have taught us valuable lessons about the role technology and telecommunications will play in every person’s daily life and livelihood in the future.
“BTC will always make every effort to be the first to build the technology bridge for the people of The Bahamas and we will deliver this with customers at the heart of everything we do.”
