Top 10: Telco Leaders in the US
The telecommunications landscape in the US is rapidly evolving, with continued demands for faster networks. It is a significant region for connectivity that underpins the operations of many enterprises and the government across the country.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the US telecom market size was estimated at US$443.12bn in 2024 and is expected to reach US$530.61bn by 2029. The majority of major telecom companies, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, are based in the US and promote innovation by making significant investments on a continuous basis.
On the journey towards 6G and to achieve faster networks moving forward, the US telecom industry is working to expand its network capacity with further fibre and wireless deployments.
In considering this, Mobile Magazine spotlights the leading figures working in telecoms based in the US.
10. Steven Vondran, President & CEO of American Tower
Steven Vondran has held various leadership positions since first joining American Tower in 2000, before now working as the company’s President and CEO. Previously, he was the Executive Vice President and Global Chief Operating Officer, in addition to formerly overseeing its US data centre business as President of US Tower Division.
He is an established telecommunications executive, having sat on the board of directors for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) since 2018 and serving on the board of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) between 2018 and 2024.
9. Julie Laulis, CEO at CableOne
Julie Laulis first joined Cable One in 1999 as Director of Marketing-NW Division. She quickly rose the ranks to be responsible for starting the company’s Phoenix Customer Care Center, before being named Chief Operations Officer in 2008. She was responsible for Cable One’s three operations divisions and two call centres, before being named President and CEO and Chair of the Board of the company in 2018.
Prior to joining Cable One, she served in various marketing management positions across the US, beginning her career in the cable industry with Hauser Communications.
8. Laurent Therivel, CEO at UScellular
Laurent Therivel is the President and CEO of UScellular, the fourth largest wireless provider in the US. His main focus is growing UScellular’s business and positioning the company for future success and is highly committed to UScellular’s mission of connecting people.
He first joined as CEo in 2020, bringing with him more than 15 years of experience in the wireless industry. This included more than 10 years at AT&T, where he held roles as Chief Financial Officer of AT&T Business Solutions, Senior Vice President of AT&T Small Business Solutions and CEO of AT&T Mexico.
7. Ahmad Malkawi, Founder at Global Telecom
Ahmad Malkawi has worked for more than 20 years in the mobile and wireless industry for Tier 1 companies, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Qualcomm. He founded Global Telecom to address a major gap in the development of modules, with the company now the only US manufacturer of these devices.
He holds an emphasis on ‘homegrown technology’ with elite security and currently owns two patents for ‘host-less’ modules. As a result, he has successfully positioned Global Telecom alongside big name partners and proprietary technology, winning several awards including Association Corporate Growth (ACG), IoT Evolution Product of the Year, Hottest New IoT Device, among others.
6. Edwige Robinson, Senior Vice President - Network Engineering, Operations & Transformation at T-Mobile US
With more than 25 years of experience as an executive leader, Edwige Robinson is currently Senior Vice President of Network Engineering and Operations, of the Central Region at T-Mobile US. She was first appointed in 2020 and is responsible for a Region that covers 23 Markets.
Working across the business and partnering with key stakeholders, her team of employees and contractors, design, build, and maintain the T-Mobile network, which helps to deliver an outstanding 5G experience to T-Mobile customers nationwide.
Prior to joining T-Mobile, she held leadership positions with several telecom industry giants, including Comcast NBC Universal. She sits on several advisory boards driving STEM education to underserved communities, including A Little Bit of Hope and 4Girls 4Change.
5. Hans Vestberg, Chairman & CEO at Verizon
As Chairman and CEO of the world’s largest wireless, fibre-optic and global information networks company, Hans Vestberg is a well-established industry leader. He was first appointed as CEO in 2018, having previously been responsible for developing the architecture for Verizon’s fibre-centric networks as Chief Technology Officer and President of Global Networks.
Hans Vestberg has been instrumental in transforming Verizon’s business, having led the company to be one of the first in the world to deploy 5G home and mobile technology - which includes 5G Ultra Wideband in 2022.
Prior to joining Verizon, he was President and CEO of Ericsson.
4. Anne Chow, former CEO at AT&T
Anne Chow has consistently been recognised as a role model for leadership and success across the telco industry. Her dedication to business technology for more than 30 years sees her honoured as a successful leader who successfully works at the intersection of people, culture and technology.
She worked at leading telecommunications company AT&T for 32 years, during which time she held 17 different roles across product management, strategy and planning, customer service and international operations. She was the company’s CEO between 2019 and 2022.
Anne Chow was the recipient of Mobile Magazine’s Lifetime of Achievement Award in July 2024. To read more about her career and legacy, CLICK HERE.
3. Brian L. Roberts, Chairman & CEO of Comcast Corporation
Comcast is now a major player in the telecommunications industry that offers internet, phone and mobile services alongside its cable TV business. Under Brian L. Roberts’ leadership, the organisation has grown massively, with his leadership recognised across the industry.
He has worked for the company since graduating from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, before being named President in 1990. As a result of his leadership, he has achieved numerous awards, including World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s and Businessperson of the Year by Fortune.
2. John Stankey, CEO at AT&T
John Stankey has led AT&T as CEO since July 2020 after previously serving as the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer. His leadership is driving the company’s transformation, with his main priority being to ensure it remains one of the biggest and best connectivity providers in the US.
First joining AT&T in 1985, John Stankey’s role within the company has been a key figure across nearly every area of AT&T’s business. He has served in a variety of roles throughout the company, including CEO of WarnerMedia, CEO of AT&T Entertainment Group, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Technology Officer, CEO of AT&T Operations and CEO of AT&T Business Solutions.
He currently serves on AT&T’s board of directors.
1. Mike Sievert, CEO at T-Mobile
Leading the customer-obsessed Un-carrier team, Sievert’s role as CEO has seen him and T-Mobile undertake a vast growth journey. During the course of his tenure, T-Mobile has experienced unprecedented growth by continuing to tackle customer pain points while introducing Un-carrier to new geographies, segments and product categories.
Since joining T-Mobile journey in 2012, Sievert has held a number of executive roles all while championing the simple but powerful Un-carrier formula of valuing customers, putting them first and changing the rules of the industry in their favour.
Mike Sievert and his team are now charting the next era for T-Mobile, transitioning the Un-carrier from Challenger to Champion by creating new and better ways to serve customers as a deeply data-informed, AI-enabled, digital-first company.
******
Make sure you check out the latest edition of Mobile Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Tech & AI LIVE 2024
******
Mobile Magazine is a BizClik brand