Phil Howard To Replace Jeff Skeen as CEO of Fitness Connection

Fitness Connection, Houston, Texas, announced Wednesday that partner and CEO Jeff Skeen is transitioning out of the company and will be replaced by executive Phil Howard. Skeen is pursuing his passion of "integrating fitness and healthcare," according to a media release.

Skeen's departure has become one facet of a larger effort by the health club company to merge its ownership and management teams into a single brand, according to the release. As a result of combining resources, Fitness Connection plans to accelerate growth and facility openings.

The company had previously split the management of its 37 clubs in Texas, Nevada and North Carolina, while sharing operations, marketing and advertising services.

“Over the last 26 years, I have been blessed to be an officer and owner of some of the top fitness companies, and I can say with confidence that Fitness Connection’s business model is a highly differentiated value proposition in the fitness space," Skeen said in the release. "My association with Fitness Connection has been the highlight of my fitness career. Even though I’m departing, as an investor, I’m excited that Phil is taking over as CEO and know that the company is in very capable hands.”

Howard added: “Each member of our restructured management team has more than 20 years of experience in the fitness industry. I’m both humbled and honored to be surrounded by such a passionate and talented team. I would argue that this merger brings together the most talented team in industry. Our model and products set us apart from our competitors, however our true strength is the experience, passion and commitment of our executive team.”