Mike Sievert (left) hands over the T-Mobile CEO post to Srini Gopalan (right)

T-Mobile's leadership transition signals continuity over change as the wireless giant prepares for its next phase.

The carrier said last week that Srini Gopalan will replace Mike Sievert as CEO beginning Nov. 1. The transition should be a smooth one because Gopalan has been running T-Mobile’s day-to-day U.S. operations since joining T-Mobile as COO in February. The two are close, and Sievert will stick around as vice chairman following a five-year run as CEO. Sievert said he brought Gopalan on board to eventually succeed him. So while the CEO change starts a new chapter, T-Mobile won’t necessarily be moving in a new direction.

“When I recruited Srini to be our COO, I knew he had the skills, experience and Un-carrier mindset to lead our company into the future,” Sievert said. “Srini has been an incredible partner in shaping the future of T-Mobile as well as instrumental in leading our record growth this year and driving initiatives to serve customers in new ways and win them for life. One fact has become crystal clear: Srini is ready to lead. 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.”

Srini Gopalan

Gopalan's T-Mobile Background

Gopalan’s familiarity with T-Mobile goes beyond his months as COO. He was on its board from 2022 until taking the COO job. During that time he also sat on the board of Deutsche Telekom, which is the majority owner of T-Mobile. Gopalan, 55, was also CMO of T-Mobile’s U.K. business in 2009-10.

In a LinkedIn post, Gopalan praised “Team Magenta” and called Sievert a friend and mentor.

“I’ve long been in awe of what this company has achieved — fearlessly reinventing wireless to serve customers in ways no one thought possible,” Gopalan wrote. “For a decade, I admired this team from afar — watching them push harder, move faster and think bigger than anyone else in this industry. And over the last several years on T-Mobile’s board and as chief operating officer, I’ve seen firsthand what makes this team extraordinary: a culture obsessed with smashing customer pain points and employees who bring an unbelievable passion to everything they do.”

Sievert Followed Similar Path at T-Mobile

Sievert, 56, is also a former T-Mobile COO, holding that position for five years until becoming CEO in 2020 following a merger with Sprint.

“We’ve built something incredible over the past decade, transforming from a scrappy challenger into a globally admired telecom,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “And our ambitions are bigger than ever: We’re becoming a digital-first, AI-enabled, data-informed company that can love every customer at scale. And Srini is already charging full speed ahead.”

Mike Sievert

Under Sievert’s watch, T-Mobile has become the most valuable wireless carrier in the U.S. Its $26 billion merger with Sprint was one of many examples of consolidation in the telecom industry as T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T have become the “big three.” The industry has also become highly competitive as cable companies have jumped into phone services. And the high volume of consolidation has brought antitrust scrutiny.

When asked about future acquisitions, Gopalan told Reuters that the company is now focused on investing in the spectrum and fiber business.