CTO Neville Ray, CIO Cody Sanford and CFO Braxton Carter keep the magenta gears turning—overseeing T-Mobile’s blazing-fast wireless network, bringing innovative technology to market and driving the company’s financial position forward. Outside the office, they have wide-ranging interests that go well beyond the tech and finance worlds—from Premiere League football to craft beer to De La Soul.
Neville Ray, EVP & Chief Technology Officer
Killing Eve
One word—brilliant! It’s a good thing we’ve got the network to handle it, because this BBC America show is truly binge-worthy! A highlight for me is Jodie Comer’s (the actress who plays Russian assassin Villanelle) authentic Liverpool accent! Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself!
Harvard Business Review: On Mental Toughness
Harvard Business Review compiled 10 articles into this quick and easy read. This book is filled with insightful nuggets—from learning how to bounce back from a career setback to leveraging challenges to become a stronger leader.
5G NR: The Next Generation of Wireless Access Technology by Erik Dahlman, Stefan Parkvall and Johan Skold
This is the Bible of 5G. It’s not a quick or easy read, but it describes the background of 5G technology and goes into detail about its features. The authors are experts from Ericsson Research and previously wrote the essential technical guides to 3G and 4G. Book club anyone?!
The Beatles
This film took me back to my teenage days when I first discovered the Beatles. For nearly two hours I was lost in a sea of Beatles classics, as well as some hidden treasures. Take a look—then listen—for yourself, then spend some time working your way through your favorite Beatles songs. Tough to beat!
Men in Blazers
I prefer my football analysis with a healthy dose of British humor—and sometimes a nice pint, too! This weekly podcast by Roger Bennett and Michael Davies keeps things fun while going deep on the English Premiere League and soccer news from around the globe. Kudos, boys!
Braxton Carter, EVP & Chief Financial Officer
Deadwood
The meanest, foul-mouthiest Western I’ve ever seen—which is why I love it! Deadwood is based on historical figures like Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane who crossed paths in the historical town of Deadwood in the 1870s. If you’ve never seen it, it’s worth a watch.
Off the Grid: Houses for Escape by Dominic Bradbury
I love architecture and I love the outdoors. This coffee table book is the perfect union of the two! It features beautiful homes, cottages, cabins and retreats in some of the most remote places of the world. Best of all, they’re all eco-friendly. When I’m in need of some serious outdoors but can’t get away from the office, this is the perfect book to thumb through.
Johnny Cash
Considering he recorded music for almost 50 years, bingeing on Johnny Cash is easy to do. His songs fit every mood, too! Looking for something funny? Try “A Boy Named Sue.” Feeling upbeat? “Five Feet High and Rising” is your jam. The more I listen, the more I respect his legacy.
Snow in Vietnam by Amy M. Le
One of the best parts of my job is working alongside incredibly talented people. Amy is a former T-Mobile employee, and her first book is about a young woman escaping Vietnam with her 5-year-old daughter after the fall of Saigon and ultimately immigrating to the U.S. It’s a beautiful story of perseverance and I couldn’t be prouder of Amy for telling it.
Craft Beer Radio Podcast
As a CFO, I have great respect for any expert in a specialized field. Jeff Bearer and Greg Weiss, the two guys who’ve hosted this mostly weekly podcast since 2005, know more about beer than anyone you’ll ever meet. Smart, insightful and always spot on, this podcast is a great way to learn about new brew.
Cody Sanford, EVP & Chief Information Officer
3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul
With their first album, De La Soul expanded what was possible in hip-hop by breaking every rule of the genre. Then there’s producer Prince Paul, who may have been the first to introduce jazz sampling into his mixes. Given all that innovation, it’s no wonder I fell in love!
The Four Seasons by Vivaldi
My dad had this album on vinyl and even as a kid I found it beautiful. I love how it tells a story without using a single word. To this day it’s one of my favorite pieces of music—and, naturally, perfect for any time of year.
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
In this business-school classic, Goldratt spells out his Theory of Constraints, which deals with identifying and eliminating bottlenecks in the production process, through an allegorical novel about a factory manager working to improve efficiency at his workplace. An easy read—and an important one.
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
If you ever needed proof that everything is connected… This book links Einstein’s foundational Theory of Relativity to new ideas in quantum mechanics. Heady stuff, for sure—exactly how I like my summer reading!
Stranger Things Season 3
As writers and directors, the Duffer Brothers are expert storytellers, mixing pretty much everything I love—sci-fi, suspense, horror, comedy and spot-on ‘80s references. On top of that, the cast is fantastic. Each season gets more intense than the last, and this one really nails the right balance of kitsch and grit.
