Key Points
Srini Gopalan, Indian-origin, named T-Mobile CEO, effective November 1, 2025.
Led T-Mobile’s 5G expansion, with 30 years in telecom, finance.
Born in India, moved to U.S. in 2000 for career.
September 23, 2025: T-Mobile US, Inc., a major U.S. wireless carrier, has appointed Srini Gopalan, an Indian-origin executive, as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective November 1, 2025. Gopalan, currently the Chief Operating Officer, will replace Mike Sievert, who will move to the role of Vice Chairman at the telecom company. Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile serves over 100 million customers with its nationwide 5G network, competing with AT&T and Verizon. The company is known for its "Un-carrier" strategy, offering no-contract plans and transparent pricing, and has expanded into fiber and home internet services.
Gopalan was born and raised in India, where he studied at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, in New Delhi from 1985 to 1987. He graduated with a management degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 1992. His early career included a role as Area Sales Manager at Unilever India. Gopalan moved to the United States in 2000 to pursue career opportunities in global financial services, joining Capital One as a senior leader, where he spent nearly a decade before transitioning to telecom roles, including at T-Mobile.
With over 30 years of experience in telecom, technology, and financial services, Srini Gopalan has held key roles globally. As T-Mobile’s COO, he led 5G and fiber expansion through acquisitions, including the 2020 merger with Sprint, which strengthened T-Mobile’s market share and network capacity. He also focused on data-driven and AI-enabled strategies to make T-Mobile a digital-first operator. Before T-Mobile, he was CEO of Deutsche Telekom’s Germany business, where he doubled growth and increased mobile market share. He also held leadership roles at Bharti Airtel (2013-2016), Vodafone (2010-2013), and T-Mobile UK (2009-2010), and served as Senior Vice President and Head of UK Card at Capital One.
Mike Sievert described Gopalan as the right choice to lead T-Mobile, citing his contributions to the company’s growth, particularly in 5G deployment. Gopalan said he aims to continue T-Mobile’s focus on customers and its Un-carrier approach. His appointment is significant for the Indian diaspora, as he takes on this role during challenges in the U.S. telecom sector, including higher H-1B visa fees, which impact many Indian professionals. T-Mobile, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, continues to redefine connectivity in the U.S. market. (Rh/Eth/RS)
Suggested Reading
