July 26, 2012
Welcome to the 2012 FierceWireless Most Influential Women in Wireless list. For the past several years, Fierce editors have been tracking the top female stars of the wireless industry and compiling our annual Women in Wireless feature (check out our 2011 list, the 2010 list, the 2009 list and the list for 2008). This year we are ranking the top 10 women by what we believe to be their “influence” in the industry.
What exactly is “influence” and how do we measure it? We picked women based on the role they play in their company and in the wireless industry at large. This list consists of women who we believe help guide the industry, whether it’s through their technical savvy, their leadership at their respective companies or simply their ability to negotiate tough deals.
Although the telecom industry is traditionally a very male-dominated field, I’m happy to report that we are beginning to see more woman in C-level ranks at top wireless companies. Verizon Wireless, in particular, now has a number of women among its top managers, and global wireless association GSMA has, for the first time ever, a female director general.
I believe that we have compiled a list that encompasses some of the best and brightest female executives in the business. To be clear, this list is a compilation of women who we think are particularly critical to the U.S. wireless industry. We realize that wireless is a global business, and many of our candidates work for international companies, but we selected women based on their influence here in the United States.
Read more: 2012 Most Influential Women in Wireless – FierceWireless