Elmar Grasser, an Italian citizen, is the Chief Technology Officer of Sunrise, a position he has held since April 2013. His key focus is the continuous enhancement of network quality and customer experience through innovation, applied where it is relevant for customers and operational efficiency, as well as the modernisation and operation of the Sunrise mobile and fixed networks at the highest levels of reliability. Under his leadership, the robustness and efficiency of the Sunrise network have been further strengthened and recognised in multiple internationally renowned network benchmark tests.

In 2025, he received the connect Innovation Award for leading Sunrise to become the first operator in Europe to operate exclusively 4G and 5G networks while simultaneously launching a nationwide 5G Standalone (SA) network. In 2019, Elmar Grasser was named CTO of the Year by Mobile Europe magazine for his instrumental role in the successful launch of one of the first 5G networks in Europe.

 Prior to joining Sunrise, Elmar Grasser served as Chief Technology Officer at Orange Austria Telecommunications GmbH from 2008 to 2013. Earlier roles include CTO for Networks and IT at E-Plus Mobilfunk GmbH & Co. KG in Germany and CTO of tele.ring Telekom Service GmbH in Austria. He also held international management positions at O2 Germany, O2 Limited (London), and the satellite operator Iridium. Elmar Grasser began his career as an engineer at Siemens in Austria and the United States and at ETSI in Sophia Antipolis, France. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Vienna University of Technology.