CrossFit has begun the search for a new CEO after Eric Roza decided to shift his leadership role from CEO to Board Chairman.
Roza took over CrossFit leadership in August 2020 after buying the company from disgraced founder Greg Glassman.
“My plan from the beginning was to set an ambitious vision, assemble the right team of executives to achieve it, then step into the Chairman role on the board after three years or so. During my recent time away and in subsequent discussions with the board and our senior team over the past weeks, I’ve decided to accelerate that timetable,” Roza wrote in an email to employees, shared with BOXROX.
Having set big initiatives in motion such as the Affiliate Playbook, Roundtables and the CrossFit Affiliate Programming, Roza recently shared how receiving treatment for depression saw him step back from the scene.
Despite stepping down as CEO, he plans to continue to be present with the leadership team and provide them with support and mentorship.
“Coming out of the most challenging period in CrossFit’s history, [Eric] was able to help stabilize the company, bring affiliates and others back into the community, set an ambitious vision for the future, restore the business to growth, and build an executive team,” the leadership team wrote to employees in a follow-up email.
Despite a year filled with controversies – the latest being the firing of former General Manager of Sport, Dave Castro – there seem to be big plans for the future of the company.
“Our team’s strength comes from its breadth of experience, background, knowledge and skills, all united by a shared passion for CrossFit,” Roza wrote. “It is a tribute to this team that, in spite of the pandemic, in 2021 we added more than 1,000 affiliates, credentialed over 15,000 new coaches, and welcomed hundreds of thousands of new members, even as COVID continues to impact many of our key markets.
“That is tremendous progress.”
Read more: How You Think of CrossFit Will Change, But CrossFit Won’t
Image Sources
- CrossFit Level 2 Seminar at CrossFit Vauxhall: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.