A love of Bollywood and a fizzing personality help to distance Hanif Lalani from the traditional image of the “stale male” BT executive.

But the company’s finance director, who is one of the central players in BT’s push to develop its green credentials, is a veteran player in the telecoms group.

Mr Lalani, 44, who is married with three children, joined the group in 1983 and worked his way through a series of management and finance roles before being promoted to his present job in 2005.

He took over the post from Ian Livingston - another young BT star who is widely expected to be the next chief executive.

Mr Lalani’s time in the finance role has coincided with a resurgence in the fortunes of BT which, under Ben Verwaayen, its Dutch chief executive, and Sir Christopher Bland, the recently retired chairman, has shrugged off the fierce obstacles facing it to reposition itself as a serious player in the digital and IT markets.

In May Mr Lalani joined executives in marking Sir Christopher’s departure with a two-year £2.5 billion share buyback and a 27 per cent rise in the dividend.

In the City Mr Lalani is respected not only for the efficiency measures he has introduced, and for his successful overseeing of the huge pension fund, but also for a nononsense style. Investors say he has improved disclosure.

Mr Lalani, born in Uganda, gained an interest in business from his parents, who were both successful entrepreneurs. The family sought asylum in the UK from the regime of Idi Amin, the former Ugandan President. Brought up in Yorkshire, he took a degree in maths operations, research and economics at Essex University. In 2003 he was appointed OBE for his services to business in Northern Ireland, where he was finance director of BT Northern Ireland.

Mr Lalani has his work cut out: the group faces fierce competition in the broadband space from players such as Carphone Warehouse and BSkyB.

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