STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Unlocking Shared

Infrastructure

Transactional solutions offering comprehensive connectivity and growth.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Sale Leaseback

Uniti has taken a model that has proven successful in specific sectors, such as wireless towers, and applied it to the entire communications distribution infrastructure. In a sale-leaseback arrangement, we acquire mission-critical communications infrastructures, then lease them back to the corporation who then continues to run operations, maintain the network and meet all regulatory obligations. This approach provides liquidity and optimal flexibility to the network operator to invest in network enhancements and expansion.

STRATEGIC PARTNERHIPS

Capital Investments

Uniti can offer a cost-efficient method of raising capital for strategic growth initiatives — such as greenfield fiber-optic installations to improve network speed and capacity — alleviating the need for our provider customers to invest billions in building or upgrading networks.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Mergers & Acquisitions

Uniti can facilitate M&A transactions as capital associates, for example, by acquiring the assets of the seller and leasing them back to the buyer. We also have the flexibility to buy and operate entire companies through a Taxable REIT Subsidiary (TRS).
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Wholesale Connectivity

With approximately 7.8 million fiber strand miles, we work with hundreds of other carriers across the country to help them create the connectivity required to drive their businesses forward. We’ve invested billions of dollars into network infrastructure across the country, enabling our wholesale customers – content providers, data center operators, WISPs, ISPs, international and wireless carriers, other network providers and more – to expand their reach and gain the competitive edge in an increasingly competitive arena.

Flexible source of strategic capital for a networked nation.

Uniti is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the acquisition, development and operation of mission-critical communications infrastructure. We work with customers in a wide variety of situations, including monetizing existing assets through a sale-leaseback transaction, infrastructure development, and merger and acquisition support for complementary companies.

Our REIT structure allows customers a flexible source of permanent capital for strategic initiatives, enabling them to strengthen and expand the critical communications infrastructure that unifies businesses, consumers and communities across the country.

 

Transactional solutions offering comprehensive connectivity and growth.

The accelerating demand for broadband capacity to support today’s data, mobile and cloud-driven world is driving exponential growth in the telecommunications and content industries, making network assets a valuable commodity to operators and investors alike.

In an industry that is famously capital intensive, we collaborate with operators to develop assets, simultaneously easing the burden of raising investment capital. However, unlike a private equity or venture fund, we do not take an ownership interest in or exercise control over operations. Instead, operators gain access to a vast reserve of capital along with the freedom to use it in ways that best suit their strategic objectives.

Our unique and creative REIT structure provides a vital connection between investors and operators of capital, unlocking the value of the network for the benefit of both parties.

Uniti Advantage

uniquely positioned

Our unique REIT structure offers customers a flexible source of permanent capital for strategic initiatives, enabling them to strengthen and expand their own network, growing their business efficiently and affordably.

strategic uniti capital

As the first diversified communication infrastructure REIT, Uniti is dedicated to igniting ideas and pursuing strategies that advance success for our customers and operators.

experts in unity

Our team of experts brings decades of experience in creating innovative solutions and sourcing the capital required to support next-generation growth.

Benefits

Monetize infrastructure assets while retaining use through a lease

Unlock value associated with real estate infrastructure excess capacity

Focus on acquiring, serving and supporting customers

Numerous tax advantages for sellers

Reduce debt with the sale proceeds and maximize interest deductions due to limitations from 2017 Tax Reform Act

Take advantage of fully deductible (generally) lease expenses

Defer potential capital gains taxes by receiving OP units as consideration

Lower the cost of entering new markets or increase capacity in existing markets

Speed market expansion efforts by removing permitting and construction obstacles

Reduce the need to raise new capital to fund network infrastructure construction

Focus on acquiring, serving and supporting customers

Customizable leases for exclusive or non-exclusive use arrangements

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Kenny Gunderman
President - Chief Executive Officer
Kenny Gunderman

Kenny Gunderman is president and chief executive officer of Uniti Group Inc. He has 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and is focused on growing Uniti’s real estate portfolio of mission critical communications infrastructure. He has prior experience at Stephens, Lehman Brothers and KPMG. He currently serves on the board of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, the Hendrix College Board of Trustees, and the NAREIT Board of Governors. Gunderman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College and an MBA from Yale.

Paul Bullington
Treasurer - Chief Financial Officer
Paul Bullington

Paul Bullington is the chief financial officer and treasurer of Uniti Group Inc., previously serving as senior vice president of Strategic Operations for Uniti Fiber. Until its acquisition by Uniti in 2017, he served as the CFO of Southern Light, a position he held since the company began operating in 2001. During his time as CFO, the company was named one of the “5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America” by Inc. Magazine for nine consecutive years.

Bullington also has prior experience at Accenture and Royal Cup Coffee. He currently serves on the board of Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre and is a former director of First Community Bank in Alabama. Bullington holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Birmingham-Southern College and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Daniel Heard
EVP - General Counsel and Secretary
Daniel Heard

Daniel Heard is an executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for Uniti. Heard is responsible for the company’s legal affairs and corporate governance.

Heard previously was a partner in the law offices of Kutak Rock LLP in Little Rock, Arkansas.

At Kutak Rock, Heard represented public companies in corporate, securities and merger and acquisition transactions. His clients comprised a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, information technology and food processing. He has extensive experience in negotiating, structuring and consummating mergers and acquisitions, public offerings of debt and equity securities and other corporate finance transactions.

Heard graduated from the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Central Arkansas.

Michael Friloux
EVP - Chief Technology Officer
Michael Friloux

Michael Friloux is an executive vice president and the chief technology officer of Uniti. He has over 30 years of telecommunications and information systems technology experience and is focused on future proofing Uniti’s information technology systems.

Friloux previously was chief executive officer and president of PEG Bandwidth where he led the wireless backhaul provider through a time of rapid expansion serving 2,400 cell towers over a 15,000 route mile network through 16 states.

Prior to joining PEG Bandwidth, Friloux served as president and chief operations officer for Citynet Fiber Networks where he developed the company into a leading regional wholesale carrier network spanning 13 states and 8,000 route miles.

Friloux started his career as a software engineer for Sabre Computer Services (American Airlines.)

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University.

Jennifer Ragsdale
SVP - Chief Administrative Officer
Jennifer Ragsdale

Jennifer Ragsdale is senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Uniti, a Certified Great Places to Work company. Ragsdale oversees Uniti’s customer experience management, human resource efforts, diversity and inclusion programs, and leads execution strategy to create a culture of high performance.

Prior to joining Uniti, Ragsdale spent more than a decade in the human resources field, building and executing programs to drive operation strategies and organizational transformation.

Ragsdale is a certified professional in Human Resources (PHR), a SHRM certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-CP) and is certified in Diversity and Inclusion in HR Management. Ragsdale previously served as the president of the Central Arkansas Human Resources Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Arkansas.

Ric Chura
SVP - Chief Information Officer
Ric Chura

Ric Chura is the senior vice president and chief information officer for Uniti. He previously served as Vice President of Information Technology at PEG Bandwidth, which was acquired by Uniti in 2016. He is responsible for setting Uniti’s cybersecurity strategy, technology governance and compliance and has led the integration of the multitude of companies acquired by Uniti.

Chura has over 20 years of experience in telecommunications industry working at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Predictive Systems, Callisma and FiberTower, a startup telecommunications backhaul provider. He has completed the Program on Negotiation from Harvard University and holds a Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering degree from Iowa State University.

Ronald J. Mudry
SVP - Chief Revenue Officer
Ronald J. Mudry

Ron Mudry is Chief Revenue Officer of Uniti Group Inc. and President of Uniti Leasing. In this role, Mudry is responsible for Uniti’s growth opportunities across its fiber and wireless infrastructure segments. He is also responsible for Strategy and Corporate Development.

Mudry leads Uniti’s sales and business development initiatives which include providing fiber based services to wireless carriers, wireline carriers, hyperscalers, content companies, cable MSOs and other wholesale customers. Mudry previously served as President of Sales and Business Development at Uniti Fiber.

Mudry has over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and was the founder of two start-up fiber operating companies that grew to become leaders in their industry segment. He joined Uniti in 2016 following the acquisition of Tower Cloud, a company he founded in 2006, that was a leader in fiber, small cell and cell site backhaul services in the Southeast, U.S. Earlier in his career, he founded Progress Telecom (formed in 1998) and before that spent 15 years with GTE Corporation (now Verizon) where he held key management positions in finance, sales and marketing, international operations, treasury, strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions.

Mudry serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of INCOMPAS, a telecommunications industry association.

Mudry holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in finance from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Tampa.

Travis Black
VP - Chief Accounting Officer
Travis Black

Travis Black is the chief accounting officer of Uniti Group Inc. In his current role, Travis leads a team of over 40 employees and is responsible for the company’s financial accounting, external reporting and financial compliance activities. Additionally, Travis oversees the company’s technical accounting matters, including merger and acquisition transactions and critical accounting estimates.

Travis has been with Uniti Group since 2015, and previously served as the Director of Financial Reporting. He began his career at FedEx, and he has over 18 years of experience in financial accounting and reporting for public companies. Travis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from the University of Memphis. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Andy Newton
President—Uniti Fiber
Andy Newton

Andy Newton is president of Uniti Fiber where he stewards Uniti’s efforts to design, build and operate its fiber network infrastructure.

Newton was the co-founder of Southern Light, and for the previous 19 years served as its president and chief executive officer where he led the overall operations, strategic guidance and culture of the company. Under his direction, Southern Light grew to become one of the top 10 largest pure fiber optic providers in the country.

Newton received an Economics degree from Birmingham Southern College and enjoys providing leadership to non-profits that focus on education and community planning and development.

Bill DiTullio
Vice President - Investor Relations
Bill DiTullio

Bill DiTullio has over 10 years of investor relations experience, joining Uniti’s investor relations team in 2017. Bill was promoted to Vice President of Investor Relations and Finance in August of 2019. Bill originally joined Uniti through the acquisition of PEG Bandwidth in 2016, and has held several various finance roles within the organization. Prior to joining the Company, Bill served as Sr. Investor Relations Analyst at Comcast Corporation. Before that, Bill worked as an associate equity analyst at Boenning & Scattergood. Bill began his early career working for Prudential Financial in several accounting and finance roles.

Bill holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Temple University and a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and accounting from Villanova University.