Ivo Rook, the executive who launched Sprint's Curiosity IoT platform, is now heading up T-Mobile's IoT business.
A T-Mobile representative confirmed to Light Reading that Rook is now SVP of IoT for T-Mobile reporting to Dow Draper, T-Mobile's EVP of emerging products. Previously Rook was SVP of IoT and product development for Sprint.
A T-Mobile representative didn't respond to questions from Light Reading about T-Mobile's plans for Sprint's Curiosity IoT platform, an offering Sprint routinely touted as a bright spot in its operations. T-Mobile, for its part, has boasted of its NB-IoT network for the Internet of Things alongside its partnership with Twilio for the development of IoT products and services.
Rook isn't the only top Sprint executive to move to T-Mobile following the close of the operator's merger with Sprint on April 1. John Saw, Deeanne King and Draper are also among the former Sprint executives who now have roles within T-Mobile.
Other Sprint executives have moved on, however. T-Mobile confirmed that Jan Geldmacher – formerly president of Sprint Business and Rook's boss – is no longer with the company. (Mike Katz is EVP of T-Mobile for Business and is leading the company's business-to-business efforts.) Another top Sprint executive – Roger Solé, Sprint's CMO – moved to WeWork as that company's CMO on April 20. Japan's SoftBank has invested heavily in WeWork, and Marcelo Claure – formerly Sprint's CEO – helps to oversee WeWork.
SoftBank, for its part, is reportedly preparing to sell a portion of the stake it owns in T-Mobile, a stake that stems from its 2012 investment in Sprint.
The front-office shuffling at T-Mobile comes amid reports of an unspecified number of layoffs at the operator following the close of its merger with Sprint. On Monday the Kansas City Star reported that T-Mobile laid off more than 200 Sprint employees in the city, the location of Sprint's former headquarters.
— Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano