FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
TAMI ERWIN EXECUTIVE BIO
TAMI ERWIN
TITLE : FORMER CEO COMPANY : VERIZON INDUSTRY : IT SERVICES LOCATION : COLORADO , US
Tami Erwin began her career in
Seattle as a Customer Service representative . At that time , she had planned to work in the role while deciding her next steps but ended up pursuing a 35-year career in the wireless industry . When Tami joined Verizon , it took her six weeks to see her first phone – a bulky , analogue device . “ I remember making my first call ,” she laughs , “ it was scratchy , like driving a stick shift .” Tami recently concluded her tenure as Verizon ’ s CEO , where she served clients in 150 countries , managed employees in 50 counties , and oversaw US $ 32bn in operating profit and loss .
Tami Erwin shares some of the phenomenal change she has witnessed in the technology industry during the course of her 35-year career
Q . HI TAMI , PLEASE TELL US WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY , SPECIFICALLY VERIZON .
» I ’ d love to tell you that I was inspired and I had a very intentional plan , but it was really just good luck , curiosity and a lot of hard work . I ’ d moved back from Silicon Valley and was looking for a role . Wireless was brand new , so somebody said , “ Hey , why don ’ t you interview for this job ?”. At that point , people were saying wireless was never going to take off , after all , who was going to carry a phone around with them ?
But I ended up working for an incredible woman , who inspired me to believe I could achieve anything I set my mind to . As I grew up in this business of telecommunications – now technology – I watched how it changed the way we all live , work , and play . It exposed me to leading and managing large teams while being able to provide tools and resources to help others succeed .
16 June 2023