Rising Stars of Wireless: People to watch in 2011

Often the people we champion in the industry are those at the top--the CEOs who are highly visible advocates for their companies. But often it's the smart and savvy risk-takers below the CEO who help that company stand apart from the rest.

Today we are celebrating these rising stars of wireless. These are the people who we think are doing some of the heavy lifting behind the scenes--whether that means developing innovative new products, heading up a new business unit or making the underlying network technology run smoothly and efficiently so that there are no embarrassing hiccups to explain.   

Here are seven people we think will play a critical role in their company's success in the coming year. Will they rise to the top?

Check out our selections for the rising stars to watch in 2011:

Joe Belfiore corporate vice president, Windows Phone Program, Microsoft

Mark Collins vice president of data, AT&T Mobility

Dennis Crowley co-founder, foursquare

Steve Elfman president of network operations and wholesale, Sprint

Scott Forstall senior vice president, iOS Software, Apple

Nicola Palmer vice president of network operations, Verizon Wireless

Neville Ray CTO, T-Mobile USA

Also, make sure to check out our 2009 rising stars and 2010 rising stars.

As always, your feedback is encouraged and appreciated. Please keep in mind that FierceWireless is primarily a U.S.-based news source, so our picks for the 2011 rising stars of the wireless industry are selected because their positions, products and companies have an impact on the U.S. wireless industry. --Sue