The President of Cricket Wireless & AT&T PREPAID discusses retailer support, customer loyalty, and the leadership behind the brand.
By Kathy Katcher, CEO & Publisher, Wireless Dealer Magazine
President of Cricket Wireless & AT&T PREPAID
When you speak with Angela Rittgers, it doesn’t take long to recognize the clarity and conviction she brings to every word—and every decision.
As President of the AT&T PREPAID portfolio, which includes Cricket Wireless and AT&T PREPAID, Rittgers brings more than two decades of experience across telecommunications, technology, and financial services. In this Wireless Dealer Magazine conversation, she discusses the principles guiding her leadership, the role of Authorized Retailers, and her vision for a brand built around simplicity, reliability, and meaningful customer relationships.
A Technical Foundation for Customer-Focused Leadership
Rittgers’ career began with a technical foundation. She earned a dual degree in electrical engineering and computer science from The University of Tulsa, an education she credits with shaping how she approaches business challenges.
“My background gave me a data-driven mindset,” she explains. “It’s allowed me to approach every challenge with both creativity and a technical perspective.”
That combination of analytical thinking and creativity has carried through a career spanning brand turnarounds at Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, global marketing strategy serving 35 million merchants at PayPal, and a brand transformation at Ryan. Across those roles, her work has connected business strategy, technology, and storytelling.
“I’m passionate about leading organizations with a focus on innovation and driving results,” she told WDM.
At the center of that approach is a consistent priority: the customer.
“Whether enhancing in-store experiences or innovating digital platforms, my focus has been on delivering value and building strong, high-performing teams.”
More Than Just a Career Move
For Rittgers, joining Cricket Wireless represented an opportunity to lead a brand whose values aligned with her own.
“It gave me the opportunity to become a part of a brand and an organization that aligns with my principles and that I’ve admired for years as I watched them competitively,” she shared.
Her vision builds on Cricket’s customer-focused identity while emphasizing a clear direction for growth: simple experiences, dependable service, and strong retail relationships.
“Cricket is hyper-focused on serving our customers with a simple approach and better experiences built on a foundation of transparency and reliability,” she explained.
The company’s Authorized Retailers play a central role in delivering that experience. As Rittgers put it, “They are the backbone behind how Cricket delivers for its customers.”
Retailer Support: Up to $120,000 per Location
In the interview, Rittgers described support that can help Authorized Retailers prepare their locations and connect with customers. That includes access to up to $120,000 in marketing and store buildout support per location.
“We customize store design and resources to fit their space and vision,” she said, “ensuring they have everything needed to attract and serve customers effectively.”
The opportunity extends beyond store design. Cricket Authorized Retailers can build revenue through activations, accessory sales, device protection plans, and service add-ons. Compensation is governed by their Authorized Retailer agreement with Cricket.
Retailers maintain ownership independence and control of their operations and employees while receiving brand support. Cricket’s offering combines rate plans, devices from major brands, and AT&T’s nationwide 4G and 5G coverage.
For retailers, those resources support the day-to-day work of delivering affordable, reliable wireless service to their communities.
Stress Less. Smile More.
Cricket’s promise—“stress less. smile more.”—connects its brand identity with the experience customers have in its stores. Rittgers sees the relationship between Cricket and its Authorized Retailers as essential to fulfilling that promise.
“By working closely with the Authorized Retailers and people who are passionate about delivering outstanding customer experiences,” she said, “Cricket is able to stay true to its brand and stand apart from the competition as a trusted, friendly face in wireless.”
Customer loyalty is a central part of that strategy.
“People who come to Cricket, stay with Cricket,” Rittgers said. “That’s because we have a history of giving customers a reason to choose us, while delivering on the growth of our business.”
Her focus is on preserving the qualities customers already value while continuing to improve the offering.
“My goal is to continue to deliver on that promise—by staying true to who we are as we innovate to provide new products and services, timely promotions, and relevant perks for customers,” she shared.
Listening to Customers—and Strengthening Local Retail
Rittgers connects innovation with listening. Customer feedback helps shape decisions about the products, services, and experiences Cricket develops.
“We will continue to keep listening to our customers, ensuring their voices guide our decisions and shape our future. I aspire to make Cricket the first-choice consideration for customers by strengthening our local presence and supporting Authorized Retailers with the tools they need to succeed.”
That local presence gives Authorized Retailers an important role in the company’s long-term direction. Their customer relationships bring the brand’s promise into everyday conversations about service, devices, and value.
Rittgers described her broader ambition this way: “I want Cricket to be synonymous with simple, smart, high-quality connectivity experiences—allowing more people to experience high quality wireless without a premium price.”
Innovation Starts Inside the Organization
For Rittgers, building better customer experiences begins with the culture inside Cricket.
“I am passionate about having a growth mindset in my life and fostering a culture of innovation and growth at Cricket,” she said. “That starts by setting a clear strategy for the organization at my level and reinforcing the importance each Cricket employee has in playing their roles to deliver on that strategy.”
She encourages teams to experiment, learn, and challenge familiar approaches.
“I believe the best innovations come from teams who feel comfortable enough to take big swings and potentially strike out before they hit a home run,” she explained. “I make it a priority to communicate that I value progress over perfection and learning over doing things the way they’ve always been done.”
Investing in People and Long-Term Growth
That approach is supported by professional development, employee training, and room for teams to challenge the status quo. Data also plays an important role in identifying where the business can improve.
“We also use data-driven insights to identify opportunities for improvement, ensuring our decisions are informed, impactful, and meaningful for our customers,” Rittgers added.
Across the conversation, a consistent picture emerges: a leader connecting customer trust with retail execution and organizational growth. For Cricket’s Authorized Retailers, that vision places their role at the center of the brand’s promise—bringing simple, reliable wireless experiences to the communities they serve.
