Lift Brands EMEA is delighted to welcome Kevin Yates as Chief Operations Officer and Kristen Horler as Head of Sales to further bolster their Snap Fitness operations in the UK & Ireland. The two new appointments come as they confirm 12 new openings across the regions before early 2024 which will take their gym footprint to 102 with plans to expand further.
With a career spanning nearly three decades, Kevin’s resumé encompasses board-level and senior management positions within the leisure and marketing industries. Kevin has spearheaded four unique businesses, including founding the TRIB3 group across the UK, Ireland, Europe & China. He has a record of effectively securing capital investment and delivering substantial returns for shareholders. And, in 2022, Kevin was recognised alongside eight more entrepreneurs in the Health and Beauty industry as a Great British Entrepreneur of the Year, acknowledging his strategic insight in revitalising businesses and propelling their expansion.
‘’As I step into my new role, I’ll be calling on my experiences in the business world to drive forward the Snap Fitness brand. I really believe in focusing on whatever it takes to build and nurture high-performing teams. You’ve got to foster a culture of commitment, innovation and talent development,” said Kevin.
Kevin will be leading the UK & Ireland operation, overseeing all areas of the business with a particular focus on brand performance with our franchisees, ensuring they are as successful as possible at club level. Brand development will also be a strong focus, ensuring aggressive growth of the Snap Fitness brand across the region with fantastic, motivated franchisees willing to work hard whilst finding a happy and healthy lifestyle in a rewarding industry.
“Snap Fitness is gearing up for a crucial phase of their strategic development, with plans to unveil numerous new locations in the upcoming six months. I’m excited to be able to use my own business expansion experiences to assist franchisees in fostering substantial growth and making significant strides in their business.”
Kristen’s appointment as Head of Sales is another significant development for Snap Fitness. She joins with decades of experience in the franchising and fitness industries, after establishing and running her own successful fitness franchise, recently selling to a successful franchisee. She will now take an integral role in the expansion of the Snap Fitness brand alongside Kevin and the existing team.
Kristen initially pursued a career as a pastry chef, but eventually became disenchanted with the industry. In 1999, she obtained her certification as a Personal Trainer which initiated her professional love of the fitness industry. Following the birth of her daughter in 2001, she established MomletaⓇ a fitness programme and community specifically designed for Mums. Kristen expanded the business across the country via franchising, whilst also attaining a Master’s degree in Nutrition.
“The role of Head of Sales for Lift Brands in the UK & Ireland caught my attention due to the brand’s unique values, concentrating just as much on mental wellbeing as well as physical fitness. Finding a company that matches your principles feels like you’ve hit the jackpot,” said Kristen.
Kristen’s role at Snap Fitness involves establishing connections with prospective franchisees, guiding them through the onboarding process and assisting current franchisees in expanding their clubs across the UK & Ireland.
“My goal is to continue to grow the number of locations we have around the UK & Ireland. It’s really important to find the right candidates for our brand and then support them through the orientation process, so that they can realise the incredibly rewarding opportunity that investing in the fitness industry can provide," added Kristen.
With the appointment of these two key roles in the senior leadership team, Global CEO Ty Menzies is gearing up for exciting times, “Snap Fitness is expecting to open their 100th location in the UK & Ireland very soon with a further two confirmed to follow in quick succession and more in the pipeline! Announcing this incredible milestone in the wake of the latest UK Fitness Industry report1 that shows Snap Fitness is now the 6th largest fitness operator in the UK, with projections indicating we will rise to 4th over the next year or so, all being well. In fact, we were one of only three operators to open more than five sites (8) across April 2022 to March 2023."
“Our franchisees are experiencing impressive club growth of 14.3% year on year, significantly ahead of the industry average of 3.4%*. The team at Snap Fitness Cross Hands and Waterford are just one example of our gyms smashing their business projections. Just over a year after opening, they are on average 27.19% ahead of where we expected them to be in terms of member numbers.”
Snap Fitness’ recent successes have garnered some serious industry recognition. Having entered the UK’s esteemed EF100 franchising league table for the first time at position 38, now Snap Fitness is in the running for two awards at the prestigious BFA HSBC British Franchise of the Year awards, where they are finalists in the Leadership & Culture and Brand Awareness categories.
1 UK Fitness Industry Report, 1 April 2022 – 30 March 2023
* This figure encompasses both private and public gyms