(Reuters) – AT&T Inc (NYSE:) named Jeff McElfresh, who headed its largest business unit, as chief operating officer, part of the U.S. carrier’s efforts to refocus on its connectivity business following the merger of its WarnerMedia unit with Discovery (NASDAQ:) Inc.

McElfresh has been with the company for more than 20 years and was recently appointed as president of AT&T Communication’s Technology and Operations Group and was responsible for its network, technology, cybersecurity, and data operations.

Since John Stankey took over as chief executive officer on July 2020, the COO position has been vacant.

On Thursday, the Dallas-based company posted an increase of 2.5% in core phone and Internet business revenue in the first quarter. This was due to the growth in its 5G and fiber internet services.