For 2021, FierceWireless has compiled a young and accomplished slate of up-and-coming wireless executives. We’re doling out the names of our winners, two per day, so that readers have the time to enjoy reading their profiles. These are all folks to keep an eye on as they make a mark in wireless, working in diverse areas of telecommunications.
Alicia Joseph never planned to work at AT&T. After getting her MBA from Southern Methodist University she started working in digital marketing at travel site Travelocity. But after Travelocity got acquired, Joseph found herself jobless and started reaching out to her network of contacts. That outreach resulted in a contract position with AT&T, and within a year she was a full-time employee with 25 people reporting to her.
Joseph quickly moved up the ranks at AT&T, and today she is the director of marketing for 5G solutions at AT&T Business where she manages the company’s 5G advertising strategy and messaging and oversees campaigns.
She credits long-time AT&T executive Sarita Rao with being a mentor to her. Rao currently is Senior Vice President - Integrated & Partner Solutions, but in a prior role she was SVP of business marketing, analytics and alliances for AT&T Business. Joseph said that she admires Rao’s ability to be an approachable leader, and that she provided her with a lot of great advice when Joseph joined the marketing team at AT&T Business.
Joseph said the best part of her job is that she gets to market products that actually impact customers’ lives. “Technology has never been more important than it is today,” she said, noting that during the pandemic, businesses and individuals had to change their mindset around technology and get the right tools to operate their businesses and educate their children. “We’ve seen a massive acceleration in the digital transformation,” she said. “I don’t see that going away. Technology is here to stay because it makes things easier.”
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The most difficult part of her job, she said, is the fast pace with which things change. “This requires a lot of transparent communication across teams. I have to continually share information and encourage people to collaborate,” she added.
When she isn’t working, Joseph and her husband love to travel and are about to embark on their first international trip post-pandemic to Dubai and the Maldives.