TL;DR Mike Sievert will step down as T-Mobile CEO on November 1, transitioning to the role of vice chairman after five years of leadership.
Current COO Srini Gopalan will take over as CEO. Goplan has prior executive experience at Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone UK, and Bharti Airtel.
T-Mobile states that Gopalan will lead a strategy focused on becoming a data-driven, AI-enabled, digital-first company while continuing 5G and next-generation network expansion.
It has been five years since Mike Sievert took over John Legere’s role as T-Mobile CEO, closing a chapter in the Uncarrier’s history that is still remembered as a golden age among many of the carrier’s biggest supporters. Now, the winds of change have returned, with T-Mobile announcing that Sievert will step down on November 1, moving to the role of vice chairman.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search — find out more here.
The last time T-Mobile changed leadership, the company’s identity shifted significantly. Whether the next CEO will bring similar shakeups or a more subtle transition remains to be seen. What is known is who will take the reins and the general direction T-Mobile says it will pursue.
T-Mobile’s current COO, Srini Gopalan, will assume the CEO role. Though he only joined the company in March of this year, he has a long industry background, including eight years as a board member at Deutsche Telekom and prior leadership roles at Vodafone UK and Bharti Airtel in India.
There has been no clear explanation for Sievert’s decision to step down. Earlier this year, in June, he dismissed rumors about his departure, stating he planned to be there until his contract ended in April of 2028. That said, he acknowledged that Gopalan’s hiring was part of succession planning.
Often, leadership shifts reflect broader logistics and the parent company’s long-term vision rather than failures by outgoing executives. For example, John Legere was seen as a transitional figure to build T-Mobile’s fanbase, while Sievert’s role focused on driving profit growth and acquisitions. From what we’ve gathered, Sievert was always intended as a sort of transitional figure, so this is just completing the shift.
T-Mobile will soon have a new CEO, but is this a good or bad sign? 36 votes Can we just bring back Legere please? (One can wish..) 69 % Anything has to be better than the Sievert era. 8 % There's a good chance this will only make things worse. 8 % Not sure. 14 %
What changes can customers expect under Gopalan’s leadership? According to T-Mobile’s press release, Gopalan will spearhead a “strategic initiative to become the most data-driven, AI-enabled, digital-first company in the industry, bringing exceptional experiences to Un-carrier customers and advancing the company’s leadership in 5G and next-generation mobile networks.”
What does this mean in simple terms? While I don’t have the internal knowledge to comment specifically on T-Mobile’s plans, the wording of the press release makes it clear the company will continue on its path towards being an online-first carrier. That means more automation, less reliance on in-store experiences, and likely a further tightening of the belt that will include shuttering less productive or redundant locations as well as ever more aggressive sales targets and goals that essentially are designed to drive out all but the most aggressive sales reps.
For customers, initial changes may be less visible, but over time, you might expect some of the following: Customer service in-store will increasingly become something of an absolute last resort over time as T-Mobile reworks the company toward its so-called digital-first vision.
Customer service reps will be increasingly pushy and more likely to talk you into features you don’t need, in order to meet their aggressive sales goals.
AI tools will increasingly replace humans as the first line of support, making it harder to reach live representatives. That’s just a few potential changes, but it’s clear T-Mobile is hoping to cut costs on customer service and push an AI-driven model as far as it can. We’ve already seen this begin with its consolidation of services into T Life, its changes in-store policies, and even light changes to how AI is used online and through customer service channels.
Can this be done without T-Mobile’s customer service quality taking a notable downward hike? Personally, I’m not so sure. After all, Verizon has switched to AI as a first line for customer service chats, and even Verizon itself has admitted customers haven’t been too keen on the change in its own Insights Report. Ultimately, the only good thing we can say about automation and retail downsizing is that it’s less likely that carriers will need to push big increases on their customers immediately, but it’s hardly worth the trade-off.
For those who are already on the fence about T-Mobile, this change might just be another reason to consider your options. With that in mind, be sure to check out our guide to the best T-Mobile alternatives.
Follow