The Munich-based fit tech giant has hired Chris Clawson and Rob Barker to key positions as it looks to continue its rapid global expansion
Global fitness tech company EGYM has added two industry veterans to its leadership team, onboarding Chris Clawson, former CEO of Life Fitness, and Rob Barker, former CEO of Precor.
Clawson has been appointed general manager of Gymtech, a role he’ll assume in mid-February, succeeding former EGYM chief customer officer Christoph Bischoff. Barker will serve as strategic advisor to EGYM co-founder and CEO Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer.
Roesch-Schlanderer remarked that the appointments of the two fitness leaders signal a significant milestone as the Munich-based EGYM celebrates its 15th anniversary.
“I met Chris for the first time in 2016. Our focus topic was the ‘Quick Start’ button that most exercisers press on the cardio consoles instead of logging in for a personalized workout, and it was clear to us that we could only solve this with Life Fitness Hardware and EGYM Software,” Roesch-Schlanderer said, alluding to EGYM’s ongoing partnership with the fitness equipment company.
During his meeting with Precor’s Barker the following year, Roesch-Schlanderer asked how EGYM Cloud could become a secure platform to connect the industry via hardware and software to enhance the experience of operators and users.
“These were clear indicators for me that the era of individual technological solutions is clearly over and needs to be replaced by collaboration in the industry and a common software platform,” the EGYM CEO said.
Connecting the Industry
EGYM’s open-platform concept has had wide-ranging benefits, as seen with its strategic partnership with Life Fitness, which has deepened with the recent announcement of a “Smart Cardio” project slated to launch in the first half of this year. The project integrates EGYM’s software with Life Fitness equipment, including the latter’s Discover SE4 Console, to provide users with real-time workout data, performance tracking and personalized workout recommendations.
Clawson noted that he’s thrilled to work with EGYM and “partner with as many operators and suppliers as possible for a fully connected workout experience in and outside the club.”
Barker, meanwhile, remarked that he’s known Roesch-Schlanderer and EGYM for over seven years, referencing Precor and EGYM’s development partnership.
“I have admired the EGYM approach and growth as operators and consumers become increasingly used to the hybrid world of digitally connected fitness experiences,” Barker said. “I look forward to helping Philipp, the EGYM team and its customers. It’s also great to be working with Chris; we were leaders of competing businesses for many years but got on well since we always shared the same desire to simply get more people more active more often and make the world a better place.”
Roesch-Schlanderer thanked Bischoff for his service to EGYM and acknowledged his leadership during Covid, where he navigated EGYM Gymtech through a challenging period.
“Strengthened by Chris and Rob, we will continue to drive the transformation of the healthcare market from repair to prevention and remain true to our approach as an open platform provider,” Roesch-Schlanderer said. “Because we know that such a huge task cannot be accomplished without strong partners.”
EGYM’s Rapid Rise
The fitness tech company received $225 million in growth capital last year from Affinity Partners to support the development of digital workout solutions and expand EGYM Wellpass, its corporate health network. EGYM has also been focused on scaling its footprint in North America.
Looking ahead to IHRSA 2024, EGYM plans to showcase a new AI-powered workout data innovation to provide next-level personalization.
“Anything that’s on a gym’s fitness floor, we want to connect in a smart way to drive prescriptive and hyper-personalized workouts to members,” said Dana Milkie, EGYM North America general manager.