He served in leadership roles at TXU Communications, including EVP of Business Development, Regulatory and Administration, and Chief Operating Officer.
Ealrier, Udell held leadership roles at McLeodUSA as Senior Vice President of Network Services and Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Indiana operations, and he held management roles at Bell Atlantic in operations, carrier sales and marketing.
“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.
A transformative time
Udell’s tenure at Consolidated could be characterized as a transformative time for the service provider.
Like the company’s original founding in 1894 by Dr. I.A. Lumpkin in rural Illinois to provide Mattoon residents with a better phone service after Bell’s rapid expansion essentially abandoned the community, Consolidated’s aggressive fiber push is bringing higher-speed broadband opportunities in a broader set of communities.
When Udell stepped into the CEO role in 2015, he oversaw what was a phase of significant growth as the company solidified its status as a top 10 U.S. fiber provider and grew into its current 20+-state service area.
But what Udell will likely be known for is his moves to transform the company into a fiber-centric organization.
Completing its own organic growth initiatives, Consolidated also continued to enhance its reach via targeted acquisitions, including Champaign Telephone Company (CTC) and FairPoint Communications. It also divested non-strategic assets. The FairPoint acquisition was key as it doubled the size of Consolidated. With the addition of FairPoint, which was concentrated in the Northern New England area, the Company grew to serve more than 20 states.
After Searchlight Capital Partners made an investment in the company, Consolidated accelerated its fiber growth plan to bring superior broadband services to over 1 million customers. Later, in December 2024, Searchlight Capital Partners and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation completed their acquisition of Consolidated.
“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,” said Andrew Frey, Chief Investment Officer at Searchlight Capital Partners. “He has delivered strong year-over-year fiber revenue growth, double-digit EBITDA gains, and built a customer-first culture across the organization.
