- Sambar joined AT&T in 2002 as network operations manager and is a former SVP of FirstNet
- AT&T didn’t give a reason for his departure or share plans for a successor
- Sambar has been a big cheerleader for the D2D startup AST SpaceMobile
Short and sweet – that’s how AT&T presented the news of long-time executive Chris Sambar’s departure from the company.
Sambar, head of AT&T’s Network organization, plans to leave the business on October 11.
“Chris has played a crucial role in delivering on our commitment to be the best connectivity provider in the U.S. His work has been instrumental to advancing 5G, launching FirstNet and expanding fiber to millions of homes and businesses,” AT&T said in a statement shared with employees on Thursday.
Sambar reported to AT&T COO Jeff McElfresh.
“I’d like to thank Chris for his impact and contributions to our business and industry throughout his career,” McElfresh said in a statement. “I wish him and his family the best in the future.”
Where to next?
With no reason given for his departure and no hints of his successor, speculation ran rampant on thelayoff.com about what’s happening behind the scenes.
Some expect Sambar will take a more prominent role at AST SpaceMobile, which appointed him to its board this past summer. He attended the launch of AST’s Bluebird satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida last month and has been an outspoken supporter of that forthcoming direct-to-device (D2D) satellite phone service.
As the head of AT&T’s Network, Sambar oversaw an annual budget of about $27 billion and led the team responsible for AT&T’s global network infrastructure. Prior to that role, he held various leadership positions at AT&T, including in enterprise sales, public sector sales and retail wireless distribution and sales.
He began his career with a six-year active-duty stint as a U.S. Navy SEAL. Later, he earned an MBA from the University of Southern California before starting his business career at AT&T.
In 2017, he was named SVP of FirstNet before being named head of the AT&T Network division in 2022.