Planet Fitness Appoints Former Jiffy Lube CEO as President, COO

Planet Fitness, Hampton, New Hampshire, has appointed Edward Hymes as its president and chief operating officer, the company announced on Dec. 12. He will start with the company in January.

The role of president opened after Dorvin Lively, who had been serving as president, announced in August that he was retiring. Planet Fitness then began a search to replace him.

Reporting directly to CEO Chris Rondeau, Hymes will be responsible for driving both the day-to-day business and longer-term strategic growth of the company with overall leadership and accountability of the brand's primary revenue-producing business segments, including U.S. and international franchise operations and development, equipment sales, and corporate stores, in addition to both the technology and legal functions.

"Edward is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience including identifying, developing, and operating domestic and international retail and e-commerce businesses for global companies," Rondeau said in the announcement. "We believe his skill set and franchise leadership will be instrumental in helping to strategically accelerate our business growth through existing and new channels, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our executive team."

Since January 2020, Hymes had been serving as president and CEO of Jiffy Lube International, a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Shell Oil Company with 2,040 franchise locations in the United States, 160 licensees in Canada, and more than $2 billion in revenue. In this role, he oversaw the strategic direction of the company, managing franchise relationships to create a shared vision for the business to drive and maintain leading market share through continued innovation and a customer-first strategy.

Hymes began working at Shell in 2001, holding various roles including strategy, business development, project management and deal delivery. Prior to Jiffy Lube, he served on Shell's global Downstream Acquisitions & Divestments Leadership Team with responsibility for transaction delivery across North and South America.

"Planet Fitness is a disruptive brand with decades of reliable growth, a disciplined franchise model and a unique opportunity to continue to grow its store count as the market leader," Hymes said in the announcement. "I look forward to joining the team, collaborating across departments, and working with franchisees to position the Company for continued long-term growth and success."

Prior to Shell, Hymes served as director and general manager for Internet startup Kozmo, an online retailer pioneering delivery to both consumers and businesses, where he was responsible for new market development and operations.

He started his career at Kmart Corporation, where he worked his way up the ranks starting as an hourly store team member and entered management after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University with a marketing degree.

He has participated in Wharton's Executive Leadership Program, INSEAD's Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestments program in France, and Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program.