Who Is Srini Gopalan? IIM Ahmedabad, DU Alumnus To Lead T-Mobile As New CEO

T-Mobile has named IIM-A alumnus Srini Gopalan as its new CEO. He will replace Mike Sievert. The move comes as T-Mobile aims to defend its lead in the 5G market amid a slowing US wireless market, the company announced on Monday. Gopalan, who currently serves as the chief operating officer (COO) at the company, will take over his new role starting Nov. 1.

“I am honoured 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 on the announcement.

With customers turning more cautious about spending and the competition increasingly heating up, the move by the telecom player indicates that it is positioning itself for sustainable growth.

Notably, T-Mobile merged with Sprint in 2020 in a $26 billion deal. That merger changed the telecom landscape and also drew antitrust attention. Gopalan's entry comes at an opportune time as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are the current market leaders in the telecom space.

Wireless carriers have been grappling with slowing subscriber growth, rising competition and increasingly cautious consumers unwilling to pay for premium plans.

T-Mobile's aggressive promotions, perks and streaming partnerships helped it stay ahead of rivals. Sievert, who has been the CEO since April 2020, will become vice-chairman, focusing on strategy and innovation. Under his leadership, T-Mobile's stock outpaced AT&T and Verizon. The company aims to build on this momentum as it enters a new phase of leadership and growth.

On the move, Sievert told Bloomberg that he “wanted to pick a moment where the company is firing on all cylinders, because I think you should do succession amidst success. Srini is ready and the company has put wind in his sails so that the team can continue to deliver outsized success going forward.”

Gopalan, currently T-Mobile's COO, brings vast global experience to the top role. He has held leadership roles at Bharti Airtel, Capital One and Vodafone. As CEO of Deutsche Telekom Germany, he contributed to expanding the fiber network.

Gopalan has studied at Delhi University’s St. Stephen’s College and earned his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. According to him, his background in digital, data, AI, fiber and networks will help drive T-Mobile’s next phase of innovation.

The 55-year-old US-based COO started the early years of his career with companies like Accenture and Unilever India. He first joined T-Mobile in 2009 as the chief marketing officer in the UK division. He then switched to Vodafone and Bharti Airtel, working as consumer director between 2010 and 2013. He was associated with Deutsche Telekom Germany for nearly eight years before rejoining T-Mobile in March 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Gopalan completed his schooling at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram in New Delhi.