Orangetheory Names Former Pizza Hut Exec as New Global President

Former Pizza Hut and Wendy’s executive Carl Loredo succeeds Lauren Cody at OTF as gyms and fitness studios continue to recruit leaders from the restaurant business

Orangetheory is the latest fitness chain to (again) look to the restaurant business for leadership, naming former Pizza Hut U.S. president Carl Loredo as its global brand president as parent company Purpose Brands reshuffles its executive ranks.

Loredo succeeds Lauren Cody and will concentrate on building the boutique fitness giant’s brand and pushing its international expansion, Purpose Brands said. He will work alongside Stephanie Schon, who took charge of Orangetheory’s U.S. business in May, a new position the company added this year.

Loredo is at least the second Pizza Hut alum to land a top fitness job this year. 

In June, Crunch Fitness promoted Chequan Lewis, a former Pizza Hut leader who joined the gym chain in 2024, to CEO.

Though fitness brands may sell the idea of skipping fast food, they keep hiring from the quick-service restaurant industry.

Low-price gym operator Vasa Fitness named Michael Osanloo, the former president and CEO of Portillo’s and former CEO of P.F. Chang’s, as its CEO in March. In the boutique space, Xponential Fitness, the franchisor behind Club Pilates and Pure Barre, hired Danielle Porto Parra, previously president and chief brand officer of McAlister’s Deli, as president. And in July, CorePower Yoga hired Dan Lynn, most recently chief commercial and restaurant officer at Inspire Brands, the owner of Arby’s, Dunkin’ and Sonic, as its new CEO to replace the retiring Niki Leondakis.

Cody was a restaurant veteran herself. She took over at Orangetheory in January 2025, when co-founder Dave Long stepped back to become co-chair of the Purpose Brands board, after holding C-suite roles at Burger King, McDonald’s and Panera Bread. Orangetheory declined to share details on Cody’s departure.

Before running Pizza Hut’s U.S. business, Loredo spent nearly 10 years at Wendy’s, finishing as global chief marketing officer, and earlier worked at The Marketing Arm, Craftmade and Frito-Lay. Schon, who joined Purpose Brands in 2020, previously held leadership posts at Buffalo Wild Wings and Erbert & Gerbert’s Sandwiches & Soups.

“I’ve long admired the innovation OTF brought to the category 16 years ago,” Loredo said. The boutique fitness brand currently has nearly 1,300 studios across 49 U.S. states and 20 countries.

Loredo inherits an international push already underway. Earlier this summer, Orangetheory announced its first Italian franchise agreement, with plans to open four studios in the greater Rome area over the next four years. The studios will use a smaller format, among the first of its kind in the Orangetheory system, designed for markets where space is tight.

In February, Orangetheory renewed its master franchise agreement in Japan, where it has operated for about a decade, with plans to add 86 studios and reach more than 100 by 2034.

The Orangetheory hire is one of four leadership changes announced by Purpose Brands.

Oded Shein joins as chief financial officer from GNC, where he held the same title. Shein replaces interim CFO Robert Gunkel.

Katin Keirstead took over for Schon as brand president of Waxing the City on Sept. 8. Keirstead worked at Planet Fitness for almost 10 years, where her roles included vice president of franchise operations. She joins the company from The Junkluggers, where she oversaw operations as vice president.

Purpose Brands owns Anytime Fitness, Orangetheory, Waxing the City, The Bar Method, Healthy Contributions and Provision Security. Its brands generated $4.1 billion in revenue over the past 12 months and count 6.3 million members across 45 areas on all seven continents, the company said.