Sowmyanarayan Sampath, a longtime leader who has excelled in a number of roles at Verizon, has been named CEO of Verizon Business, effective July 1, the company announced Tuesday.
Sampath will report directly to Hans Vestberg, Verizon chairman and CEO. Sampath will succeed Tami Erwin, who announced her resignation from the role earlier this year. She will assume the role of strategic adviser to the CEO until the end of 2022.
Vestberg said Sampath is a perfect fit for the role.
“Sampath brings more than two decades of experience in digital transformation and critical network infrastructure on behalf of business customers to his new role at Verizon, plus extensive knowledge of products and their role in powering enterprise growth and global security,” he said. “I am proud of the Verizon Business team’s drive and continued growth as part of our customer-facing transformation model. Given Sampath’s distinguished Verizon tenure, this will be a seamless transition and I expect him to continue the business momentum.”
Sampath joined Verizon in 2014 and currently serves as chief revenue officer for Verizon Business. He has been a decisive driving force behind the organization’s commercial success, its culture of shared success and relentless focus on customer needs.
Over the years, Sampath has served in several strategic roles at Verizon. He joined as senior vice president of business transformation, transforming the operating model of Verizon and creating two of the company’s largest core initiatives — Network Transformation and OneFiber. As chief product officer for the consumer and enterprise businesses, he led joint initiatives across networks, Internet of Things, next-generation video and developing the 5G product portfolio. Sampath then operated as chief financial officer at Verizon Media Group, focused on strategy and transformation, before becoming president of global enterprise, where he spearheaded the commercial launch of Verizon’s 5G networks and multiaccess edge computing solutions.
“I come to this role from a very diverse background, a mindset to constantly learn and a mission to lead with kindness and integrity during this critical moment of radical digitization for our customers,”’ he said. “The Verizon Business team is absolutely the best in the business, and I am committed to ensuring we continue to build on the momentum and success we have shared together thus far. The time is now to disrupt the industry and stay laser-focused on transformational outcomes for our customers and how Verizon serves their needs.”
Erwin had served as CEO since 2019. During her tenure, Erwin positioned Verizon Business as the partner of choice for customers’ digital transformation efforts. Prior to her current position, she played a crucial role in the evolution and growth of Verizon’s wireline and wireless business segments. She was previously the head of operations for Verizon Wireless, and led Verizon Fios, the nation’s largest residential and commercial fiber network. Earlier in her career, she was chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless and led the business’ West region, taking it from fourth place to first place.
Vestberg said Erwin had great impact.
“In her 35 years with Verizon and its predecessor companies, Tami has been a trailblazer who has led mission-critical initiatives across all areas of our company, from wireless, to wireline, to enterprise,” he said. “She has always demonstrated a customer-first approach, created blueprints for success and delivered exceptional results. The breadth of her career, impact of her leadership and the legacy she’s leaving behind should be an inspiration to us all.”
