The former head of Verizon Business has shared an emotional message with thousands of employees who are set to lose their jobs, as the telecommunications giant begins its biggest round of layoffs to date, affecting more than 13,000 roles across the company.
Tami Erwin, who spent over 30 years at Verizon before departing in 2022, posted the open letter on LinkedIn, which quickly went viral.
“The news this week has weighed on me deeply. As I reflect on it tonight, on a quiet Friday night, I’m thinking about the people behind the headlines,” she wrote.
Erwin, who rose from the position of a customer service representative to CEO of Verizon Business, stressed that even as technology reshapes everything, “people remain the heart of every company.”
She urged laid-off staff to give themselves time to grieve. “To those impacted, from someone who will always bleed Verizon red: Give yourself permission to grieve. A job is identity, relationships, pride. Losing it is personal.”
Former leader's take on tech-driven change
Verizon layoffs will significantly shrink its non-union workforce, which numbers around 100,000 employees in the United States.
Verizon said that the job cuts were not directly tied to its pivot to artificial intelligence, according to Reuters.
However, Erwin offered her own perspective on transformation, acknowledging that technology is rapidly reshaping everything: “Yes, AGI, quantum computing, robotics, and intelligent networks will redefine how we live, work, and play. The direction is right.”
She also cautioned leaders to remember that people matter just as much as tech. “Technology doesn’t transform a company. People do. And when change affects people’s livelihoods, leaders must modernize more than systems — they must modernize process, communication, empathy, and accountability.”
She said, “Transformation without humanity isn’t leadership.”
‘Your story isn’t ending — it’s evolving,’ says the ex-CEO
Now serving as a board director and advisor to Silicon Valley startups, Erin drew on her own experience leaving Verizon three years ago, saying, “I can tell you that your next chapter will be equally as fulfilling!”
Verizon, the largest US telecommunications provider by subscriber base, lost a net 7,000 postpaid phone connections in its latest quarter, missing analyst expectations of adding a net 19,000 connections. Rivals AT&T and T-Mobile continue to grow, intensifying pressure on Verizon to restructure.
“Your story isn’t ending — it’s evolving. And I’m cheering for you, always,” she wrote. She advised laid-off staff to hold their heads high. “No one can take away the impact you’ve had. Build a framework for your next chapter — and go forth and conquer.”
Verizon's new CEO, Dan Schulman, appointed just last month, is implementing these sweeping changes to address the mounting market pressures amid a shrinking pool of new customers as older rivals offer cheaper plans and cable operators enter the competition.