Verizon has confirmed consumer unit CEO Sowmyanarayan Sampath will leave the company at the end of the first quarter.

The carrier noted that Sampath will leave Verizon on February 5, just a couple of days after the Financial Times reported that the carrier had sought out candidates for Sampath's position in recent weeks.

In the company's official announcement late last week, the telco labelled Sampath's exit as part of an executive leadership transition.

"As we change and grow, there will be changes in our structure and leadership. I want to share one of these transitions with you today," said Dan Schulman, CEO, Verizon.

"Sampath has agreed that now is the right time to step down from his role as CEO of the Verizon consumer group. He will stay with us through the end of the first quarter to ensure a smooth transition."

Schulman, who took over as CEO in October, made reference to the move being part of Verizon's "turnaround" strategy.

Sampath's long-term replacement is not yet known, but Alfonso Villanueva, executive vice president and chief transformation officer, will serve as interim CEO of Verizon consumer group.

Sampath has been at Verizon for more than a decade, and has led the consumer group since 2023. Prior to this, he led the Verizon Business Group for around nine months.

Since taking over at Verizon, Schulman has called for a reboot of the telco, and has championed AI's potential to create a leaner structure at the carrier. This has included plans to cut 13,000 jobs.