The Spanish telecommunications market continues to move at a rapid pace, along with its most visible executives. Manuel Hernández begins a new professional chapter after leaving Finetwork and joins Aire Networks —the telecom subsidiary of the Aire Group, based in Elche— as Chief Commercial Officer wholesale. The appointment comes at a time marked by sector consolidation, perimeter changes within major groups, and increasing competitive pressure in connectivity, B2B services, and cloud solutions.
Hernández’s arrival at Aire Networks is seen as a strategic move favoring profiles with a strong commercial background and experience in rapid growth. His new role will focus on driving the wholesale strategy, strengthening relationships with operators and partners, and supporting the group’s development in an environment where wholesale is regaining prominence: from capacity agreements and fiber to interconnection, transit, voice services, and bundled proposals for businesses.
From Finetwork to the wholesale market: a leader shaped by expansion
This move follows over six years linked to Finetwork, an operator based in Elda that experienced strong growth in customer numbers and commercial reach. Hernández joined Finetwork in 2019 to lead its expansion, eventually taking on high-level responsibilities, including roles as CEO and General Manager of Business. During this period, the operator surpassed one million customers, exceeded 1,300 sales points, and generated over 120 million euros in revenue—figures that cemented the brand as one of the most followed projects in Spain’s alternative segment.
However, the end of 2025 marked a turning point for Finetwork. In mid-November 2025, Vodafone Spain completed the purchase of 99.4% of the operator’s shares in a process tied to the company’s restructuring. Since late December, reorganizational moves have continued, including changes to the governance body and a €10 million capital increase. As 2026 approached, Vodafone also announced the appointment of José Luis Prieto as the head of Finetwork’s business, with his effective start date on January 7, 2026, as part of the new operational phase of the brand within the group’s ecosystem.
Within this context, Hernández’s move to Aire Networks is seen as a natural succession: departing from an operator in full integration and transitioning to a player with a wholesale focus, where channel experience, expansion, and commercial negotiations will be key assets.
Aire Group reorganizes its structure and redefines assets
The addition also occurs during a phase of significant changes within the Aire Group itself. In June 2025, the company restructured its executive team with the appointment of Javier Polo as CEO and the shift of founder Raúl Aledo to non-executive chairman. This reorganization was part of a strategy to strengthen wholesale operations and drive growth areas such as unified communications and cloud services in the B2B space.
The group’s new direction was accelerated in January 2026 with a symbolic move: the sale of three data centers (Madrid, Valencia, and Lisbon) to Templus. The deal did not specify the amount but was announced as a strategic component: Aire Group retains its clients in those facilities and expands access to Templus’s data center network, increasing reach for enterprise projects and regional expansion needs. Sector reports on the transaction highlight that the acquired package adds 6.5 MW to Templus’s installed capacity, with the buyer projecting to surpass 60 MW throughout 2026.
For a group combining connectivity and digital services for companies, the equation is clear: less reliance on own assets in certain locations and greater flexibility to provide infrastructure and regional presence through alliances. In this strategic approach, the wholesale sector becomes increasingly relevant as a “deal driver”: not only selling connectivity but also establishing relationships with operators, integrators, service providers, and corporate clients demanding continuity and scalability.
A strategic appointment amid a full B2B restructuring
Aire Networks thus strengthens its wholesale division at a time when the B2B market is becoming more demanding. Companies seek more than lines and bandwidth—they want real redundancy, connectivity suited for critical applications, and an ecosystem that enables cloud, security, and data center services without contractual friction.
Hernández’s previous experience aligns with this vision. Before Finetwork, he developed over 25 years of experience in telecommunications and consumer goods: starting his career at Procter & Gamble and then holding various executive roles at Orange Spain for over a decade, with responsibilities in territorial operations, retail, and low-cost segments. This background—blending branding, distribution, channel sales, and commercial execution—is highly valued in wholesale business, where success often depends less on technology and more on the ability to close deals, sustain them, and generate recurring growth.
With this appointment, the Aire Group appears to be aiming for precisely that: reinforcing the commercial leadership of the wholesale arm while restructuring its assets, strengthening its B2B focus, and navigating an industry where consolidation is no longer the exception but part of the plan.
Source: Alicante Plaza