Virgin Media O2 corporate and market developments

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has undergone internal leadership changes and entered a period of public opposition to market consolidation in the UK telecommunications sector.

In late September 2026, the company announced that Jo Bertram would step down as CEO of O2 Business following the merger of its B2B division with the British Daisy Group. Matthew Riley, the founder of Daisy Group, assumed the role of interim CEO to focus on commercial operations and merger synergies. This transition occurred alongside reports of potential debt reduction plans by Telefónica and Liberty Global.

By early October 2026, VMO2 CEO Lutz Schüler escalated the company’s involvement in industry-wide developments by formally objecting to BT Group’s acquisition of TalkTalk’s consumer broadband and wholesale divisions. In an open letter to the UK Culture Secretary, Schüler argued the acquisition “makes a mockery of the market” and warned that allowing a dominant incumbent to acquire a struggling rival could harm long-term competition. The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into the deal.