APFN has announced the completion of its corporate consolidation plan, merging five companies into two standalone entities: a wholesale operation, APFN itself, and a retail arm, Cuckoo. Both are now under the ownership of Fern Fibre. Recent months have witnessed significant leadership transitions within the company.
Ronan Kelly, who formerly held the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at APFN, is now the Managing Director. Meanwhile, Nisreen El-Kaloush transitions from Commercial Director to Chief Commercial Officer. At the group level, roles are being phased out, leading to departures. Jarlath Finnegan, Group CEO, and Graham McGregor, Group CFO, are stepping down, as leadership on a group level is unnecessary post-consolidation.
Both Ronan and Sarah Howells, Managing Director of Cuckoo, will report to Adam Dunlop, the new Executive Chair of Fern Fibre. Dunlop brings a wealth of experience from previous roles, including CEO of TalkTalk.
In recent developments, the launch of aquila marked a significant transformation for APFN. This new fibre platform provides seamless access to full-fibre broadband across the UK, enabling Communication Service Providers to access various infrastructures from Openreach, BT Wholesale, CityFibre, and APFN itself. The platform connects to approximately 19 million premises and has already signed partnerships with numerous service providers.
Ronan Kelly expressed enthusiasm for his new role, stating, “Since we launched aquila, we have had a fast start and we have huge interest from potential partners, and I am excited to connect more of them to the platform in the months ahead.” He also acknowledged the role of former leaders, stating, “They leave those companies in great shape as we continue to shake up the connectivity market.”
Adam Dunlop highlighted the exciting phase both APFN and Cuckoo are at during his appointment. He commended the efforts to launch aquila and merge retail operations onto a unified platform. This transformation has laid the groundwork for future growth, free from legacy systems.
On his departure, Jarlath Finnegan reminisced about his rewarding journey, from helping to found Giganet to leading APFN. “With the original transformation plan now complete, this felt like the right moment to hand over,” he said, appreciating the collaborative effort behind the successful ventures at APFN and Cuckoo.
