Sarita Rao has enjoyed a remarkable journey in the telecommunications industry. A highlight of her career was earning the 2011 Technologist of the Year Award, which recognized her pivotal role in establishing the AT&T Wholesale Sales organization.

Additionally, she led the National Wireless Segment and nurtured AT&T's partnership with IBM for innovative Go-to-Market initiatives.

Sarita has led global sales and operations for Wi-Fi solutions. Her team developed data analytics solutions that delivered valuable insights to business customers.

In 2019, she received the Silver Stevie Award for Women in Business in the "Woman of the Year-Technology" category for innovation in marketing strategies to position AT&T as a technology leader.

She also received the 2016 "Innovator of the Year" Stevie Award for enterprise Wi-Fi in an emerging market. Her team won first place in the 2015 Emerging Technology category for AT&T's Wi-Fi Small Site.

Sarita is passionate about innovation and helping others develop through mentoring. She serves as an advisor to AT&T employee resource groups and participates in various leadership programs throughout the company.

Sarita also holds community leadership roles in philanthropies that support the arts and children's health. She serves on the Executive Board of Common Threads, a national organization that educates children about nutrition.

Sarita earned an M.B.A. from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from DePaul University. She also graduated from the executive management program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Early in May 2022, she wrote a blog post about courageous voices in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community for AT&T's Inside Connections.

"My parents, immigrants from India, demonstrated the power of hard work and persistence," she wrote. "They were entrepreneurs, pursuing the American Dream by starting their own business as a stone supplier and fabricator. My mom handled the day-to-day business, and she was often underestimated by customers, employees, and competitors, who questioned if this small Indian woman with a heavy accent could get the job done. My mother not only proved herself by growing the business, but she also passed on her passion and perseverance to her children. My sister now runs the company, which has grown into a multi-million-dollar firm that is one of the most prestigious in the Chicago real estate market. She is often recognized as an influential voice across the industry."