Crunch Fitness Hires Former Xponential Exec in International Expansion Move

Crunch already has gyms in Canada, Spain, Portugal and Australia. With John Kersh on board, the gym franchise plans to ramp up its global ambitions

Crunch Fitness, the rapidly growing gym franchise with over 460 locations and 2.5 million members, is gearing up for international expansion. The brand has appointed John Kersh, the former chief international development officer of Xponential Fitness, as its new managing director of international development. 

Kersh, who left Xponential last month, brings 25 years of experience to the table for Crunch, the “No Judgments” gym. He previously focused on the global expansion of Xponential brands like Pure Barre, Club Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, Row House and Rumble. Crunch has tasked him with similar duties in his new role, heading the brand’s international expansion strategy, identifying global growth franchise partners and overall bringing the Crunch experience to new markets.

“In terms of expansion, Crunch has been crushing it over the past 12 months, with the company set up for even more success and growth through 2024,” said Crunch’s newly appointed President Chequan Lewis. “Having John join our team is another step in the right direction. We’re keeping a foot on the gas pedal as we look to drive new openings, both domestically and internationally. John is highly qualified to direct Crunch’s international expansion and grow our global reach.”

Kersh also held executive development roles with Self-Esteem Brands, parent brand of Anytime Fitness, and with IHRSA before coming aboard with Xponential and now Crunch. 

With gyms in Canada, Spain, Portugal, Australia and other countries, the Crunch flag has already reached a number of foreign soils. Now with Kersh, the high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym plans to expand its franchise footprint overseas.

“With John’s exceptional background in the fitness industry, his addition to Crunch opens the door for even more opportunity when it comes to growing our brand on a global scale, which is something we are highly focused on,” said Crunch CEO Jim Rowley. “With a proven track record of great success, we’re looking forward to seeing John set new standards for growth and drive Crunch forward globally in his new role.”

Having recently celebrated its 35^th anniversary, Crunch is pushing towards 3 million members and over 500 club locations in the U.S. and abroad. Establishing new group fitness offerings has been key in helping Crunch reach those numbers. The brand also increased its digital presence, launching Crunch+ last year, an on-demand and live-streaming platform that makes several fitness and wellness classes such as HIIT, yoga, cardio boxing, stretching, Pilates and meditation available to members. 

Correction: Crunch celebrated its 35th anniversary in April. A previous version of this article stated that the anniversary was upcoming. This article has also been updated to correct a misspelling of John Kersh’s name.