Peter Borer - executive chairman

Peter Borer established his reputation as one of the UK's top-flight telecom professionals during his appointment as Network Director for Kingston Communications (Hull) plc from 1983 to 1989. In this post he established the UK's first local PTO network based on digital technology and secured the initial network interconnect agreements under the 1984 Telecommunications Act, which allowed the then local operator to provide equal access to both the BT and Mercury networks.

Peter was well equipped for this role having earlier been responsible for the design of the first computer controlled telephone switching equipment developed by GEC, after which he joined ITT (Europe) as their system design manager with responsibility for equipment development throughout Europe and the USA.

In 1989 telecom liberalisation had reached British Rail, which operated the second largest network in the UK after BT. Peter founded and became Managing Director of the newly established BR Telecoms Ltd, where he had the task of moving a diverse regionally based internal service function into a business capable of responding to competitive market conditions.

Wide ranging solutions were required to create a structure that satisfied the internal railway need for its own operational requirements and the substantial opportunity to generate added value services for commercial users of the very substantial transmission capacity. This work culminated in the privatisation of BRT with its sale to Racal in 1995.

Meanwhile in 1994 Peter had accepted a new challenge with Telewest Communications Ltd, where his appointments included that of Managing Director for the National Service Centre, and then MD National Network. More senior roles followed included that of Director Operations with responsibility for all aspects of service delivery to Telewest's wholesale and carrier customers. In 2000, he became Director of Business Development where he was responsible for strategic developments, including advising on mergers and acquisitions and for managing wholesale accounts generating more than £120M.

In 2002 the structure of railway telecommunication services were again the subject of review given the financial difficulties of Global Crossing, who had purchased Racal Telecoms in 1999 and had inherited the long-term contracts associated with the provision of rail industry telecom requirements. The change in network ownership from Railtrack to Network Rail has also occurred.

Together with other rail and telecom experts, Peter formed Vitesse Rail Com Limited and was appointed Executive Chairman in 2002. The company is currently engaged in defining appropriate value for money solutions to provide both operational railway telecommunications and business services, such as data and mobile services.