Newfold Digital, the Jacksonville group behind Bluehost, HostGator, Network Solutions and Crazy Domains, has named Sachin Puri its next chief executive. He takes the role on October 1, 2026. Sharon Rowlands, who has led the group since its formation, moves to executive chair. The company calls it a planned transition.
Puri already runs both operating units. He joined as chief executive of Bluehost Group in May 2025 and later added Network Solutions Group, so the promotion formalizes a job he largely holds. The release does not explain how duties will split between him and Rowlands.
The company he inherits looks different from the one Rowlands first led. Newfold now reports about 6 million customers, down from 6.7 million at its 2021 formation. S&P estimated 5.8 million subscribers in January, more than a million fewer than in 2023.
Debt shapes the backdrop. Moody’s cut the group’s rating to Caa3 in September 2025 as maturities approached. A recapitalization completed in December extended major maturities to 2029 and raised roughly $100 million in new money from owners Clearlake Capital and Siris Capital. S&P then upgraded the company to CCC+. The deal bought time rather than growth, and the owners’ confidence will face a test at the next refinancing.
Puri’s operating record centers on infrastructure. Bluehost said in November 2025 that nearly a million customers had moved to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, with faster response times and lower cost per customer. Google field data for June 2026 showed 41.7 percent of Bluehost sites passing all three Core Web Vitals, up more than 15 points in two years. HostGator, another Bluehost Group brand, sat at 38.7 percent and looks like the next test.
Legal threads also come with the job. Newfold settled Meta’s cybersquatting suit against its aftermarket subsidiary this month. Puri previously served as chief marketing officer at WP Engine, which is now in a dispute with Automattic over the WordPress trademark, and Newfold pays Automattic for its use.
For competitors, the appointment settles continuity, since one executive now sets direction across every brand. What an executive chair does between an exchange and a 2029 maturity wall remains open.
