Consolidated Communications, one of America’s fastest-growing fibre internet and network companies, announced on September 17 a planned CEO transition that includes the future appointment of COO Gaurav Juneja to CEO at the beginning of 2026. As part of the transition, current CEO Bob Udell will work closely with Mr Juneja to ensure a smooth transition, after which Mr Udell will become Vice Chairman of Consolidated’s Board of Directors.
Gaurav Juneja has served as Consolidated’s COO since April 2024, after joining the company in February 2023 as President of Consumer & SMB. Since joining Consolidated, fibre penetration has more than doubled, accompanied by marked improvements in the customer experience. Prior to Consolidated, Gaurav was Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at Metronet, where he scaled and rapidly grew the consumer fibre business.
“Gaurav has a proven track record of accelerating fibre growth and optimising organisations to focus on the customer, and we are confident he is the right leader to guide the company’s next chapter,” said Bob Udell. “His appointment reflects the Board’s thoughtful succession planning and recognises his pivotal role in advancing our strategy and culture, further expanding our fibre network, and strengthening our Fidium fibre brand and product portfolio.”
“On behalf of the Board and our employees, I would like to thank Bob Udell for his extraordinary 32 years of steadfast and successful leadership at Consolidated,” said David Fuller, Chairman of Consolidated’s Board. “We are grateful Bob has agreed to continue to support the Company’s growth by assuming the role of Vice Chairman of the Board, where he will provide invaluable leadership and guidance to this organisation.”
“Bob led the successful turnaround and extraordinary transformation of Consolidated from a legacy telecom provider into one of the nation’s fastest-growing fibre businesses,” said Andrew Frey, Chief Investment Officer at Searchlight Capital Partners. “He has delivered strong year-over-year fibre revenue growth, double-digit EBITDA gains, and built a customer-first culture across the organisation. We’re pleased to have Bob transition to Vice Chair of our Board. While we will miss partnering with Bob as CEO, we have been impressed by the energy, excitement and substantive improvements that Gaurav has delivered at Consolidated, and we are excited to see him complete Consolidated’s transformation into one of America’s fastest growing broadband businesses in his new role as CEO.”
“Leading Consolidated has been the honour of my career,” commented Bob Udell. “With the copper-to-fibre transformation substantially completed, and a talented executive leadership team in place, now is the right time for this transition. I look forward to continuing to contribute as a Board member, helping guide the company’s growth and long-term success. It has been a privilege to partner with Searchlight throughout this transformation from a copper-centric ILEC to one of the fastest growing fibre businesses in the U.S.”
“At this exciting stage of our growth, I am committed to accelerating our momentum by strengthening our customer experience, driving innovation that sets us apart, and leading this incredibly talented team,” said Gaurav Juneja. “We are on a clear path to becoming the premier broadband provider to residential, commercial and carrier customers in our markets, and I couldn’t be more energised about the opportunities that lie ahead.”
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