CrossFit Confirms Layoffs to 20% of Workforce
The fitness brand says the layoffs were a “fully strategic decision” and weren’t made in response to any financial difficulties
CrossFit is laying off a significant portion of its workforce, Athletech News learned Thursday.
The layoffs affected “around 20%” of the company, a CrossFit spokesperson confirmed to ATN.
CrossFit says the move shouldn’t be construed to mean the fitness brand is experiencing any financial problems.
“This was a fully strategic decision and wasn’t driven by balance sheets or rumored economic difficulties, and it will not have an effect on our relationships or commitments to affiliates or partners,” a CrossFit spokesperson said.
CrossFit didn’t confirm any details on the specific employees or departments affected, but ATN understands that the layoffs affected some high-ranking staffers throughout the company.
The decision to let go of such a significant chunk of staffers is likely the biggest decision CrossFit CEO Don Faul has made since he took over in August.
“For the past few months, we have been working on how to set up our organization to execute most effectively against the 2030 vision that we shared earlier this year: to reach 30 million people while building strong affiliates and coaches,” Faul said in a statement regarding the layoffs.
“In assessing our organization and cost structure while considering the current economic environment, it became clear that we needed to make some changes. While this was an incredibly hard decision, these reductions will help us create a more sustainable business model, ensure that we’re prepared for economic uncertainty, and position us to make some big bets against our most important priorities,” he continued.
Faul, a former U.S. Marine and tech executive, is trying to steer CrossFit out of a rocky spell that included an ownership change.
CrossFit’s founder Greg Glassman stepped down as CEO in June 2020 after receiving intense backlash for tweets he sent regarding the murder of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic. The tweets were deemed racially insensitive by many, and led sponsor Reebok to drop its affiliation with the fitness brand.
Glassman sold the company to Eric Roza in July 2020. Roza also took over as CrossFit’s new CEO and served in that role until February 2022, when he resigned and transitioned to a new role as chairman of the board. During Roza’s tenure, CrossFit rebounded well from the pandemic, with the company stating that it added more than 1,000 affiliates and 100,000 members in 2021 alone. The fitness brand also added sportswear brand Nobull as its new sponsor to replace Reebok.
The layoffs come as CrossFit is set to enter the most important stretch of its calendar. The 2023 CrossFit Games Semifinals begin in a few weeks, with the Finals set for this summer.
CrossFit says the layoffs “will not have an effect” on the upcoming events.