- Srini Gopalan will assume the CEO role from Mike Sievert effective November 1
- Gopalan’s appointment follows a multi-year succession planning process
- Sievert will continue in a management role during the transition
T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert is stepping down early, handing the chief executive reins over to COO Srini Gopalan effective November 1.
Gopalan, 55, joined T-Mobile this year as COO, heading the company’s Technology, Consumer and Business groups. Since his appointment, it’s been a guessing game when he would assume the chief executive role. Reports surfaced earlier this year that Sievert might end his tenure before his contract expires in 2028.
Before T-Mobile, Gopalan was most recently CEO of Deutsche Telekom’s Germany business. He previously held senior leadership roles at Bharti Airtel, Capital One and Vodafone.
“I am honored and grateful for the trust Mike and the Board have placed in me, and for the opportunity to lead T-Mobile’s next chapter,” Gopalan said in a statement.
He also promised to continue as a disruptor in the wireless industry and echoed the company’s “best network” and “best value” mantra.
“What lies ahead of us is even more exciting because over the last five years, we have built America’s best network together with digital and AI capabilities that are far ahead of anyone else in our industry,” Gopalan stated. “Customers no longer need to make tradeoffs – at T-Mobile they get the best network, value and experience – all at the same time.”
Under Sievert’s leadership, the company grew its market share and set a new market cap record for service providers in the telecom industry. Its current market cap is $268 billion.
In a statement, Sievert, 56, gave Gopalan credit for being instrumental in leading T-Mobile’s record growth this year and driving initiatives to serve customers in new ways.
“One fact has become crystal clear: Srini is ready to lead,” Sievert said. “He is highly skilled, passionate and incredibly knowledgeable, and above all, he is obsessed with taking our employee and customer experience to the next level. I have full trust and confidence in his vision for T-Mobile.”
T-Mobile said Sievert will continue in a management role as vice chairman, with his contract terminating November 1, 2026, which may be extended. The company also amended the contracts of CFO Peter Osvaldik and President of Marketing Mike Katz, indicating that the entire C-suite isn’t immediately going away as Gopalan brings in his own regime.
Gopalan’s contract runs through November 2030.
T-Mobile emphasizes disruption
In a note for investors today, New Street Research analyst Philip Burnett said it sounds as though T-Mobile will emphasize that the immediate timing of the executive change is related to a few large upcoming “un-carrier” moves that they want Gopalan to take credit for.
“The company has gone to pains over the last few months to emphasize that Srini remains focused on being an industry disruptor rather than an incumbent, and we expect them to continue to push that narrative,” Burnett said. “Of course, investors have been aware that this transition was in the works since early this year, and so we don’t think the news now will impact investors’ thinking about the company.”
Gopalan’s appointment comes as other high-ranking executives are leaving. The company announced last month that T-Mobile President of Technology Ulf Ewaldsson was retiring and that Callie Field, president of T-Mobile Business Group, will step down on September 30.
T-Mobile CTO John Saw is taking over Ewaldsson’s role, but T-Mobile at the time didn’t name a replacement for Field.