Crunch’s Undefeated Tribe Bolsters Exec Team, Targets 100+ Gyms by 2028

The fast-growing Crunch Fitness franchise group is investing in AI, marketing, operations and talent as it prepares to double its workforce and grow from 60 to over 100 clubs

One of Crunch Fitness’ top franchise groups is expanding more than its gym footprint.

Undefeated Tribe has added several senior executives across people, marketing, AI, procurement and personal training over the past year as it builds the leadership infrastructure needed to support an ambitious expansion plan that calls for more than 100 Crunch locations by 2028.

The hires come as Undefeated Tribe continues to scale rapidly. The franchise group now has 60 clubs open or in development across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Minnesota and Missouri, and says it has grown revenue 51% year over year and serves roughly 500,000 members. By 2028, the company expects to surpass 1 million members while growing to more than 100 locations.

To support that expansion, Undefeated Tribe is restructuring its organization, creating dedicated teams for new club openings, AI initiatives and procurement while adding a third operating region to oversee its growing portfolio.

Among the executive hires: 

• Former Planet Fitness chief people officer Kathy Gentilozzi as chief people officer
• Former Vail Resorts chief marketing officer Ryan Bennett as chief revenue officer
• Former Vail Resorts performance marketing leader Aleck Watkins as vice president of performance marketing
• Peter Auvil as senior director of AI and data science 
• Former Flynn Group executive Kasey Mania as vice president of procurement
• Joseph Mackay as regional vice president of personal training.

The investments reflect a leadership philosophy Undefeated Tribe CEO Tony Hartl has long championed.

“I invested heavily in people early on,” Hartl told Athletech News earlier this year, explaining that building specialized leadership teams before rapid expansion allows the organization to scale without overloading individual leaders.

Rather than relying on a traditional general manager model, Undefeated Tribe operates with “managing partners” who invest in the business and share in club profitability, an ownership structure Hartl has credited with driving stronger accountability and long-term performance.

“We think about performance today and growth tomorrow,” Hartl has said. “That balance ensures we deliver results now while building a business that compounds over time.”

The company is also building internal capabilities beyond traditional gym operations. New teams focused on artificial intelligence are expected to identify efficiencies across the business, while expanded procurement and new club opening functions are designed to support a faster pace of development.

Workforce growth is expected to mirror the company’s club expansion. Undefeated Tribe plans to increase its employee base to roughly 4,500 team members by the end of 2026 before reaching approximately 10,000 by 2028. As part of that effort, the company is recruiting a vice president of talent acquisition to help lead hiring during its next phase of growth.

While Undefeated Tribe currently operates across five states — Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Minnesota and Missouri — the company says it controls development rights in additional markets and continues evaluating future expansion opportunities.