Who Are Srinivas Gopalan And Rahul Goyal? T-Mobile, Molson Coors Hire Indian-Origin Ceos Amid H-1B Row

(MENAFN- Live Mint) At a time when the Donald Trump -led US administration is tightening H-1B visa rules , two major American companies have appointed India-born executives to top leadership roles.

T-Mobile appoints Srinivasan Gopalan

T-Mobile said on Monday insider Srinivasan Gopalan would take over as CEO from Mike Sievert on November 1, marking a leadership transition as the telecom company works to defend its 5G lead in a saturated US wireless market.

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

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In a LinkedIn post, Srinivasan said,“This team's success reflects the remarkable leadership of my friend and mentor Mike Sievert, and I appreciate the trust he's placed in me as he takes on his new role as vice chairman. I'm excited to continue partnering with him as we continue to rewrite the rules of wireless for the good of our customers.”

The industry has also witnessed significant consolidation in recent years, exemplified by T-Mobile's $26 billion merger with Sprint in 2020. That deal reshaped the US telecom landscape, establishing Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile as the dominant 'big three' telecom companies, while also attracting antitrust scrutiny.

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Sievert, who became CEO in April 2020, will move to the newly created position of vice chairman and advise on long-term strategy, innovation and talent development.

“Gopalan brings a wealth of experience and is a very impressive leader, and they've handled this transition exceptionally well. I don't expect there to be any fall-off at all in T-Mobile's performance,” MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett said, as reported by Reuters.

Gopalan, currently the chief operating officer of T-Mobile, had held senior leadership positions at Bharti Airtel, Capital One and Vodafone and most recently served as the CEO of Deutsche Telekom's Germany business, where he was credited with doubling the company's growth rate and scaling its fibre business.

Molson Coors appoints Rahul Goyal as next CEO

Meanwhile, Molson Coors on Monday named company insider Rahul Goyal as its next CEO, succeeding Gavin Hattersley, who is set to retire later this year. Goyal, originally from India, studied engineering in Mysore before moving to the US for business studies in Denver.

He has held leadership roles across Coors and Molson brands in the US, the UK, and India. His appointment comes as the beer giant faces challenges from declining demand and rising tariffs in the US market.

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In a post on LinkedIn, Goyal said,“With a historic legacy of amazing brands supported by a talented team of employees and a strong network of distributors, customers and partners around the world, it's a privilege to be part of this great company – and I'm ready to take on the opportunities and challenges ahead with the right brands, the right people and the passion to deliver on our ambitions.”

"Few executives know Molson Coors better than Rahul Goyal. His cross-company experience and role in pushing the brewer beyond beer position him to meet fast-changing consumer demands," said EMarketer analyst Zak Stambor.

US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation requiring a payment of USD 100,000 to supplement H-1B petitions for new applications, effective from September 21 for 12 months, unless extended. The new rule, however, applies prospectively, meaning it will not impact existing visa holders or petitions already approved.

Also Read: Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee is flawed-and risking American jobs

The research highlighted that Indian IT firms, which account for nearly 70 per cent of all H-1B visas issued annually, may face a higher cost structure over the next 3-6 years as renewals come up. The fee, applicable per petition, typically valid for three years, extendable by another three, could create incremental expenses.

With a historic legacy of amazing brands supported by a talented team of employees, it's a privilege to be part of this great company.

Morgan Stanley's estimates suggest that the gross impact on earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margins could range between 10 and 120 basis points, translating into a 0.5 per cent to 8.5 per cent drag on EBIT. However, with mitigants like offshoring and pricing renegotiations, the net impact could be contained to about 50 basis points, or 3-4 per cent of EBIT.

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This team's success reflects the remarkable leadership of my friend and mentor Mike Sievert.

Over the last decade, Indian IT companies have gradually reduced visa dependence, with increasing localisation in the US and nearshoring to Canada and Latin America. The trend, accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, has already led to a higher offshore mix.

(With inputs from agencies)

Key Takeaways

• The appointment of Indian-origin CEOs highlights changing leadership dynamics in major U.S. companies.
• Tightening H-1B visa rules may result in higher operational costs for Indian IT firms.
• Companies are increasingly localizing and reducing visa dependency in response to regulatory changes.

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