OREANDA-NEWS. April 26, 2016. Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT), one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the U.S., today announced several key new hires in Operations, Real Estate and Finance, specifically;

  • Jim Esposito appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Club Operations,

  • Brian Zehetner appointed Director of Health and Fitness,

  • Josh Beyer appointed Vice President of Real Estate & Construction, and,

  • Brian O'Donnell appointed Vice President and Corporate Controller.

As Senior Vice President of Corporate Club Operations, Mr. Esposito will be responsible for the strategic development of Planet Fitness' corporate locations. In his new role as Director of Health and Fitness, Mr. Zehetner will oversee Planet Fitness' overall health and wellness initiatives. As Vice President of Real Estate & Construction, Mr. Beyer will lead Plant Fitness' Real Estate and Construction functions. Finally, Mr. O'Donnell will oversee all areas of financial reporting and accounting services as Vice President and Corporate Controller.

"Adding the best talent in key management positions across all categories of our business has always been a priority at Planet Fitness," said

Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer of Planet Fitness. "These are important additions to the Company as we add the necessary leadership to further build upon the continued success and growth of our brand."

Mr. Esposito brings more than 20 years of experience to the Company in successfully managing operations for several leading consumer brands. Most recently, he spent the last year at Panera Bread, where he collaborated with a cross-functional team to drive business results and key initiatives. Prior to Panera Bread, he held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Papa Gino's and D'Angelo, where he was directly responsible for the brand's operations, sales growth, and increased profitability. He also spent 11 years with Burger King Corporation, where he held a number of key operations positions, including the leadership of Burger King's Global Restaurant Systems group, which consisted of more than 1,400 restaurants in 10 countries around the world. 

Mr. Zehetner brings more than 15 years of experience to Planet Fitness in fitness program development, digital health innovation, and brand advocacy. He is a registered dietitian and certified strength and conditioning specialist, and is also board-certified in sports dietetics. Previously, Mr. Zehetner served as Chief Science Officer for Anytime Fitness. Mr. Zehetner's experience also includes working with digital health startups to develop new, innovative products. He co-authored the book "Working Out Sucks (And Why It Doesn't Have To)" and has a Master's degree in nutrition and dietetics.

Mr. Beyer comes to Planet Fitness with extensive development experience within large, national companies where he drove all aspects of brand expansion, real estate and company development, asset management and construction processes. Most recently, he was Vice President of Non-Traditional Development for The UPS Store where he led the development of the UPS Store brand into hotels, universities, convention centers and military bases. Prior to The UPS Store, he worked at Nephron Pharmaceuticals and Parx Casino. Mr. Beyer began his career at Quizno's Corporation where he spent 11 years in leadership positions as Market Auditor and later Vice President of Development where he oversaw a management team, as well as commercial brokers in selecting sites, selling franchises and building restaurants.

Mr. O'Donnell joins Planet Fitness with extensive finance and accounting experience, which includes more than 10 years in public accounting with Deloitte and Touche and Arthur Andersen. Most recently, he was the Chief Accounting Officer, VP of Finance and Corporate Controller of Sonus Networks, a global technology hardware and services company where he held various leadership roles including Director of Revenue Operations and Senior Director of Finance. At Sonus Networks, he oversaw the global finance organization and worked extensively with a cross-functional team in the role of systems and process improvement in a variety of areas throughout his time at the Company. Mr. O'Donnell's responsibilities also included the day-to-day oversight of the Finance organization and all Sarbanes-Oxley compliance efforts. 

About Planet Fitness

Founded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT) is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. With more than 1,000 locations in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, and the Dominican Republic, Planet Fitness' mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women. For more information, visit www.planetfitness.com.