Planet Fitness, Inc. announced today, January 13, that it has appointed Chip Ohlsson as chief development officer, effective January 20, and Brian Povinelli as chief marketing officer, effective February 10.
Ohlsson and Povinelli will report directly to company CEO Colleen Keating.
Ohlsson brings three decades of experience in the hospitality industry. He joins Planet Fitness from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, where he most recently served as executive vice president and chief development officer, leading the development of the company’s 24 hotel brands across North America.
In a media release, Planet Fitness reported that Ohlsson has a “proven track record of building strong relationships with franchisees and driving strategic partnerships and innovative programs.” In addition to his extensive hospitality industry experience, Ohlsson is a former franchisee of a worldwide fast/casual restaurant brand, which provides him valuable insights and perspectives on supporting franchisees.
Ohlsson said, “I’m thrilled to be joining the Planet Fitness team at this exciting time for the company. Planet Fitness has tremendous opportunities for growth both domestically and in strategic international markets. I look forward to working with Colleen, the rest of the team, and franchisees to harness the company’s current momentum and further scale its global presence.”
Povinelli is a seasoned marketing executive with over 30 years of experience working with hospitality and apparel brands and agency experience. He joins Planet Fitness from Marriott International, where, most recently, he was the global head of Marketing & Brand, leading the company’s overall go-to-market strategy and overseeing “end-to-end customer experience for over 25 brands in Marriott’s portfolio.” Povinelli has extensive experience leveraging data and insights to drive strategy and execution while partnering with franchisees to support systemwide revenue growth.
Povinelli commented, “Planet Fitness is an iconic and differentiated brand with broad demographic appeal. I look forward to joining the company at this pivotal moment for the brand and am excited to work with the team to strengthen the brand’s leadership position and expand access to fitness and wellness for all.”
“I look forward to welcoming Chip and Brian, two highly experienced executives, to our leadership team,” said Keating. “Chip and Brian are both veterans in their fields with impressive track records of leading consumer-facing brands through periods of expansion while collaborating with franchisees to drive profitable growth. Their collective skills and expertise will be critical as we continue to execute our strategic imperatives, including accelerating club openings, redefining our brand strategy and pulling it through our marketing to leverage our size, scale and industry leadership.”
Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is a franchisor and operator of fitness centers in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico, Australia, and Spain.
Images courtesy Planet Fitness
