Thursday, September 29, 2011
Chris Rondeau
CEO, Planet Fitness
(Fastest Growing Fitness Club in the US)
Location:
Huddleston Hall, Durham, NH
Time: 8:00AM – 10:00AM
Chris Rondeau
Chris Rondeau, CEO, was an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire in 1993 when he took a job working the front desk at the Planet Fitness gym in Dover. The rest, as they say, is history.
From that part-time position, Chris rose to operations chief and equity partner in what has become the fastest-growing gym company in the country. Along the way, Chris helped formulate and refine a business model that has revolutionized the gym industry.
With its extremely low prices and Judgement Free Zone© atmosphere, Planet Fitness has tapped into a new market of gym-goers – the 85% percent of the population who didn’t feel comfortable in health clubs, or had never seen one with a compelling value proposition, until Planet Fitness came along.
As the Planet Fitness brand took shape, Chris created the operating systems that allowed the high-volume model to flourish. Among the key breakthroughs, Planet Fitness in the 1990s was the first gym to allow customers to buy a membership online.
Since it began franchising in 2003, Planet Fitness has rapidly spread its wings. Today, with more than 440 locations in 41 states, Planet Fitness is poised to become the largest gym operator in the U.S. Planet Fitness has been recognized for its success and rapid growth. For four straight years PF has made Inc. magazine’s list of the fastest-growing private businesses in America. Meanwhile, the company has continued to lead the way in innovation and branding – introducing new benefits to members and strengthening its value proposition with breakthrough national marketing campaigns. In the value category, Planet Fitness remains the runaway leader.
A native of Tewksbury, MA, Chris now lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children.