ROSEMONT, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Premier Franchise Management, the largest U.S. residential pool-build and pool-service franchisor, announced that it has appointed Tom Fitzgerald, Chief Financial Officer for Planet Fitness, to its Board of Directors.
“We are pleased to welcome Tom as a director to the Premier Board,” said Paul Porter, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Premier. “He joins Premier at an exciting time in the business and complements our existing board of director’s skills and expertise. He brings decades of experience in franchising, financial strategy, and customer experience, which will be vital to our long-term strategy as the preeminent franchisor in the pool space.”
John Hatherly, Managing Partner at Wynnchurch Capital and a member of Premier’s Board of Directors, stated, “This appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to developing a world-class board with a variety of viewpoints and industry-leading expertise. We look forward to partnering with Tom and benefiting from his breadth of experience.”
Tom currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT), one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the world by number of members and locations. He has over 30 years of leadership experience in financial management in the consumer products and retail industries, most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President at Potbelly Sandwich Works. Prior to Potbelly, he served in varying executive roles at Charming Charlie Inc. including President and Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Administrative Officer. Previously, Tom served as Chief Administrative Officer of Sears Canada. Additionally, he held several leadership positions at Liz Claiborne, was Chief Financial Officer at Burlington Coat Factory, and served as Chief Operating Officer of Bath & Body Works. Tom began his career at PepsiCo, where he held various leadership roles in finance and planning. Tom holds an MBA in Finance from Indiana University Kelley School of Business and received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Florida.
“Premier is a market leader, with a highly attractive, differentiated model that is built to maximize customer satisfaction, support its franchisees, and drive long-term growth,” said Tom. “I am excited to work with the Board and leadership team to leverage my experience and help execute against the many opportunities that lay ahead for Premier.”
About Premier:
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Premier Franchise Management (“Premier”) is the largest U.S. residential pool-build and pool-service franchisor. Premier has won several industry awards; notably, Premier Pools & Spas was recently recognized as one of the nation’s top franchises in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®. For more information, please visit: www.premierpoolsfranchise.com.
About Wynnchurch Capital:
Wynnchurch Capital, L.P., headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, with an office in New York and an affiliate in Canada, was founded in 1999 and is a leading middle-market private equity investment firm. Wynnchurch’s strategy is to partner with middle market companies in the United States and Canada that possess the potential for substantial growth and profit improvement. Wynnchurch manages a number of private equity funds with $5.7 billion of regulatory assets under management and specializes in recapitalizations, growth capital, management buyouts, corporate carve-outs, and restructurings. For more information, please visit: www.wynnchurch.com.