TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding to step down in May

Harding plans to spend more time in public service

TalkTalk's CEO Dido Harding is to step aside in May, handing over to TalkTalk Consumer managing director Tristia Harrison.

Harding, one of the highest-paid CEOs in the UK despite a string of embarrassing security breaches, says that she wants to "focus more on my activities in public service".

The announcement was made in the company's latest quarterly trading update.

Sir Charles Dunstone has stuck by Harding, who has been CEO of the internet service provider (ISP) for seven years. Dunstone will become executive chairman of TalkTalk Group after relinquishing his role as chairman of Dixons Carphone. Meanwhile, TalkTalk Business managing director, Charles Bligh, will become chief operating officer.

Despite being one of the cheapest ISPs in the UK, TalkTalk has struggled to recover from a security gaffe in 2015 that saw teen hackers break-in and steal sensitive personal information.

The hackers used a distributed denial of service attack as cover to exploit a SQL injection flaw in one of the company's web-facing systems. Harding put-up an excruciating performance in front of a parliamentary committee when called to give evidence into the hearing.

The company was widely criticised for having a lackadaisical attitude towards security. That impression might have been confirmed late last year when a number of the Dlink routers the company distributes to customers were compromised in a Mirai-style attack. The company's initial advice to customers was to reset the devices, rather than to provide a firmware patch.

Harrison joined The Carphone Warehouse Group in 2000, climbing the greasy corporate pole at various roles in Carphone Warehouse and TalkTalk Group.

Harrison was appointed managing director of TalkTalk in 2014 and therefore oversaw the various security mishaps the company has suffered in recent years. The 2015 attack cost the company several tens of millions of pounds and almost 100,000 customers.