NEW YORK : Gopalan, who currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of T-Mobile, will assume the top role effective November 1, 2025. He succeeds Mike Sievert, who has steered the company since 2020, overseeing its merger with Sprint and driving significant growth. Sievert will transition to Vice Chairman and remain an advisor to the leadership team.

Gopalan brings a wealth of global experience to his new role. Before joining T-Mobile, he led Deutsche Telekom’s operations in Germany, where he delivered record growth and spearheaded fiber expansion. His career also includes senior leadership positions at Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, and Capital One. Known for his customer-first and innovation-driven approach, Gopalan has been instrumental in shaping T-Mobile’s Un-carrier strategy since joining the company.

An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, Gopalan’s elevation is being seen as both a milestone for Indian-American leadership in the U.S. corporate world and a symbolic moment against the backdrop of mounting immigration policy concerns.