WeightWatchers CEO Exits
The storied weight loss company–which embraced weight loss drugs–also lost Oprah Winfrey earlier this year and recently lowered its full-year outlook
Sima Sistani is out as CEO and director of WeightWatchers, the weight loss company announced Friday.
Board member Tara Comonte, who has served as CEO of TMRW Life Sciences and president and CFO of Shake Shack, has been appointed interim CEO.
Last month, WeightWatchers reported lackluster second-quarter results and lowered its full-year outlook. At the time, Sistani described a “rapidly changing landscape” and said the company would reimagine its operations, which included layoffs.
“On behalf of the board, I want to sincerely thank Sima for her leadership in advancing our strategy, for adding WeightWatchers Clinic to our offerings, and for her unwavering commitment to our mission,” said Thilo Semmelbauer, chairman of the WeightWatchers board of directors. “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
Sistani had served as CEO of WeightWatchers for two years. Last April, the company acquired telehealth provider Sequence, giving members of WeightWatchers access to popular GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic.
Semmelbauer welcomed Comonte, who also serves on the boards of Kindbody and Strava, as WeightWatchers’ interim CEO.
“Her proven ability to lead cross-functional transformations and drive growth, coupled with her deep understanding of our mission and commitment to our members, give us full confidence that she is the right leader to steer WeightWatchers through this pivotal moment and position the company for sustained success,” Semmelbauer said.
Comonte remarked that she looks forward to partnering with the WeightWatcher’s leadership team and board as the brand expands access and care.
“WeightWatchers is a strong, globally recognized business with a proven track record of success and competitive leadership advantage,”‘ the new interim CEO said. “I am confident that we have the right team in place and are focused on the right strategies to drive growth while staying true to our mission to empower members to live healthier, longer lives.”
In a post on her LinkedIn page, Sistani referred to the news as “bittersweet” and wrote that it’s “time for the hand-off.”
“After all the hard, intentional work of transforming this 61-year-old company’s vision and mission, I’m passing the baton to my dear friend Tara Comonte, who’s going to lead WeightWatchers in this next chapter,” Sistani wrote. “But this is hardly goodbye: Just like any good teammate, I’m so excited to meet you all at the finish line—victorious, as I’ve always known we would be.”
While investors are bullish on weight loss medications, shares of WeightWatchers have taken a hit and are now trading under $1.
The storied company also saw the exit of Oprah Winfrey from its board earlier this year. The talk show titan revealed in 2023 that she was taking weight loss medication and hosted an ABC primetime special, “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” this past March.
Winfrey had served on the board for nearly a decade. In an interview with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, she noted that she decided to exit the WeightWatchers’ orbit so she could speak freely on her special.
“I decided that because this special was really important to me and I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I want to talk about,” Winfrey said. “WeightWatchers is now in the business of being a weight health company that also administers drug medications for weight; I did not want to have the appearance of any conflict of interest.”
Earlier this month, WeightWatchers appointed Scott Honken as chief commercial officer and Phillip Picardi as chief impact officer.
