Heathrow Airport has announced that Philip Jansen will take over as Chairman of the Board on 1 January 2026, succeeding Lord Paul Deighton after his nine-year tenure.
Jansen brings more than three decades of leadership experience to the role, most notably as former Chief Executive of BT Group, where he led a major transformation of Britain’s largest telecommunications company. He also previously served as CEO of payment processing giant Worldpay and held senior positions at Sodexo. He currently chairs WPP, the global advertising and marketing services company.
Why It Matters
The appointment comes at a significant moment for Heathrow. The airport has been pushing forward with modernisation and expansion plans, and Jansen’s experience navigating heavily regulated industries and working with private investors makes him well-suited to guide that process.
“Heathrow is the UK’s gateway to growth,” Jansen said of his appointment. “I’m keenly aware of the instrumental role Heathrow plays in the success of the UK economy and I’m motivated to play my part in its future.”
Deighton’s Legacy
Lord Deighton departs after overseeing a multi-billion-pound investment programme that transformed the passenger experience at Europe’s largest airport. His tenure included steering Heathrow through the turbulence of COVID-19 and its recovery—no small feat for an airport that handles over 200,000 passengers daily across roughly 1,300 flights.
CEO Thomas Woldbye praised Deighton’s “fantastic stewardship,” noting that he leaves behind “an impressive legacy” and helped cement Heathrow’s status as “the world’s most connected airport.”
For the millions of travellers passing through Heathrow each year, the leadership change signals continuity in the airport’s ambitions to modernise and potentially expand its capacity in the years ahead.
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