(Telecompaper) BT has announced plans to split BT Retail into two separate business - BT Consumer and BT Business - with effect from September. BT said this would allow it to better serve customers and focus more of delivering strategic priorities. These include 'Driving broadband-based consumer services' and 'Being the brand for business for UK SMEs'. The CEO of BT Consumer will be John Petter, currently managing director of the Consumer unit within BT Retail. The CEO of BT Business will be Graham Sutherland, currently managing director of the Business unit within BT Retail. Both currently report to BT Retail CEO Gavin Patterson and will continue to do so when he takes over from Ian Livingston as BT Group CEO in September. Both Petter and Sutherland will join BT's Operating Committee on 01 September.