Consolidated Communications Names Gaurav Juneja as Incoming CEO
Gaurav Juneja, Incoming CEO, Consolidated Communications • Photo Credit: Consolidated Communications
CONROE, Texas, September 18, 2025 (TECH INFO SCENE) — Telecommunications company Consolidated Communications has announced a planned leadership transition, with Chief Operating Officer Gaurav Juneja set to become Chief Executive Officer at the beginning of 2026. according to the company, the Current CEO, Bob Udell, will retire from his role at year-end and assume the position of Vice Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors.
Bob Udell, CEO, Consolidated Communications • Photo Credit: Consolidated Communications
Juneja joined Consolidated in February 2023 as President of Consumer and SMB before being promoted to COO in April 2024. During his tenure, the company reports that fiber penetration more than doubled alongside improvements in customer experience. Prior to joining Consolidated, Juneja served as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at Metronet, where he oversaw the expansion of the consumer fiber business.
“Gaurav has a proven track record of accelerating fiber growth and optimizing organizations to focus on the customer, and we are confident he is the right leader to guide the company’s next chapter. His appointment reflects the Board’s thoughtful succession planning and recognizes his pivotal role in advancing our strategy and culture, further expanding our fiber network, and strengthening our Fidium fiber brand and product portfolio,” said Udell.
“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. 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 organization,” said David Fuller, Chairman of Consolidated’s Board.
“Bob led the successful turnaround and extraordinary transformation of Consolidated from a legacy telecom provider into one of the nation’s fastest-growing fiber businesses. He has delivered strong year-over-year fiber revenue growth, double-digit EBITDA gains, and built a customer-first culture across the organization. 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,” said Andrew Frey, Chief Investment Officer at Searchlight Capital Partners.
“Leading Consolidated has been the honor of my career. With the copper-to-fiber 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 fiber businesses in the U.S.,” said Udell.
“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. 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 energized about the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Juneja.
Consolidated Communications Holdings, LLC provides fiber communications solutions to consumers, businesses, and carriers. The company operates a network spanning approximately 67,000 fiber route miles and ranks among the top 10 U.S. fiber providers. Its services include high-speed internet, data, phone, security, cloud, and wholesale carrier solutions.
For more information, visit www.consolidated.com.
Source: Consolidated Communications
