LEADERSHIP
Giffgaff chief refuses the cost-cutting script the AI wave invites
Kate Dohaney, chief executive of the U.K. mobile network Giffgaff, part of the Virgin Media Group, told Fortune that artificial intelligence is changing how her company works and how fast products reach market, but that the question is not how to reduce human capital. She said she is not a CEO sitting back saying cut, cut, cut, and is instead training people to work more strategically across the business.
The pressure around her points one way: Standard Chartered chief executive Bill Winters spoke of replacing lower-value human capital with investment capital, then apologized. Dohaney's answer instead names where Giffgaff is heading, toward revenue diversification and fintech experiments as Revolut, Monzo and Klarna move into telco, with a brand built on low cost and sustainability, B-Corp certification and three-quarters of phones sold refurbished.
Source: Fortune · September 15, 2026