Matt Staneff, who had been T-Mobile’s chief marketing officer since April 2019, has left the company as of June 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Staneff initially announced his departure in a June 1 tweet that was first noticed by Light Reading. He said: "From <10M to >100M customers! It's been a ride, but my stop is here & it's time for the next adventure.”
He mentioned possibly training for an Ironman triathlon and definitely spending more time with family.
Staneff had been with T-Mobile for more than 18 years. Prior to his stint as CMO, he was chief commercial officer. His career at the carrier had focused almost entirely on customer service, customer retention and marketing.
In recent years, and particularly under John Legere’s leadership, T-Mobile had earned a reputation for its out-of-the-box marketing tactics, including its self-proclaimed moniker as the “Un-Carrier,” its harsh slamming of its competitors and its magenta-colored everything.
T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert actually started at the company in 2012 as chief marketing officer, a role he filled for over two years before he was promoted to chief operating officer. Sievert played a big role, initially, in the company’s successful marketing strategies.
A T-Mobile spokesperson told Fierce that Staneff’s departure was part of some shifts the company made to evolve the way it supports its three lines of business — Consumer, Business and Emerging — “while also establishing a strong center of gravity for our product management teams, and institute a single organization to drive the company’s brand and communications work (led by Janice Kapner).”
Kapner is currently T-Mobile’s chief communications officer. It's not clear whether her title will change or whether T-Mobile will hire a new CMO.*
Some Twitter users noted that Staneff is yet another of the Legere crew to leave the company, following former CFO Braxton Carter’s and former EVP of Corporate Services David Carey’s departures.
*After publication of this story, a T-Mobile spokesperson said Kapner's title has recently changed to chief communications and brand officer.