1. Planet Fitness appointed Sarah Powell as General Counsel effective November 2025. 2. Powell brings 25 years of experience in legal and compliance roles. 3. She aims to enhance Planet Fitness' growth and strategic imperatives. 4. CEO Colleen Keating expressed confidence in Powell's capabilities. 5. Planet Fitness is focused on accessible fitness and global expansion.
The leadership change indicates strategic growth focus. Historical cases show effective leaders can drive company value.
Leadership appointments typically signal strategic direction, with Powell's experience being particularly beneficial.
Leadership changes often shape company direction over several years, influencing market perception and operations.
HAMPTON, N.H., Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:PLNT) (the "Company"), one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, announced today the appointment of Sarah Powell as General Counsel, effective November 17, 2025. Ms. Powell will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Colleen Keating.
Ms. Powell is an accomplished legal and strategic business advisor with more than 25 years of experience in senior in-house counsel leadership roles. Throughout her career, she has developed business, legal and compliance strategies for both private and publicly traded companies. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President (EVP), General Counsel and Secretary at GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands), which, through its affiliate brands, is a global franchisor and operator of several brands including Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky's, encompassing more than 6,900 locations worldwide in more than 65 countries.
Prior to GoTo Foods, Ms. Powell served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Advance Auto Parts, a publicly traded automotive aftermarket parts retailer. Earlier in her career, she served on the legal team at Delhaize America, a domestic supermarket chain.
Ms. Powell brings breadth and depth of experience in legal and compliance for publicly held and private companies, including board and corporate governance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, enterprise risk management, real estate, contracts, and litigation management. She is also a proven leader and developer of people, and her experience will help accelerate Planet Fitness' growth opportunities ahead.
"I am excited to welcome Sarah and her deep franchising experience to Planet Fitness, where she will play a critical role on our executive leadership team, delivering strategic legal counsel that helps drive growth for the Company," said Colleen Keating, Chief Executive Officer. "Sarah is a results-driven leader with extensive experience advancing key organizational initiatives, mitigating complex risks, and building high-performing teams. I'm looking forward to partnering with her to support the brand's strategic imperatives, drive operational excellence, and further our continued global growth and expansion plans."
"Planet Fitness is a leader in the fitness industry, and I'm proud to join a Company with a purpose-led mission that has such an incredible opportunity to bring affordable access to fitness," said Ms. Powell. "I look forward to joining the team and leveraging my experience working with complex franchise matters and consumer brands on a global scale to help accelerate Planet Fitness' strategic imperatives, drive operational excellence, and further the Company's continued global growth."
About Sarah Powell
Sarah Powell is a legal and strategic business advisor with over 25 years of experience in leadership roles as in-house counsel. Ms. Powell most recently served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at global parent company and developer of franchisor brands GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands) from 2015 to present. In the role, she developed business, legal and compliance strategies for all brands of the company, which include Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli, Schlotzsky's, Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Jamba and Carvel, as well as Seattle's Best Coffee in certain international markets. From 2002 to 2015, Ms. Powell served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at publicly traded automotive aftermarket parts retailer Advance Auto Parts where she was responsible for all company legal matters and set business, legal and compliance strategies. Earlier in her career, she held roles at Delhaize America. Ms. Powell earned her J.D. at Washington & Lee University School of Law and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.
About Planet Fitness
Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the world by number of members and locations. As of June 30, 2025, Planet Fitness had approximately 20.8 million members and 2,762 clubs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico, Australia and Spain. The Company's 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 clubs are owned and operated by independent business men and women.
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SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.