Be one of the business owners, managers and experts who gathers to discuss, enhance and innovate operator excellence as we know it. Click below to meet the 2018 AHFF Speakers.

• Kelly Card

  Fitness Industry Technology Council (FIT-C)

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  Kelly Card

  

  Kelly Card is an accomplished technology and business trend expert, executive, and leader in the health club and fitness industry. With over twenty years of experience in a variety of roles including operations, finance, sales, and marketing, Kelly has not only contributed to the rise of leading fitness technology sector companies, she is also an experienced entrepreneur who founded the first health club mobile application provider Club Apps, which she successfully sold in 2015.

  Kelly sits on the board of the Fitness Industry Technology Council and presently serves as the Senior Vice President of Partner Relations for ABC Financial where she is responsible driving software experience innovation and communication. She also oversees technology and service partnerships where she guides them to enrich gym operations via integration and the application of fitness industry best practices.

  She is considered by many to be one of the leading global experts in the application of data insights and technology tools to evolve fitness industry business models and is an influential advisor to some of the world’s leading health club brands.

• Roger Karsten

  CEO, fit20

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  Roger Karsten

  

  Helping others make healthy lifestyle choices is Roger Karsten’s personal passion. As a leader of fit20 USA, he develops systems and methods that grow membership and recruits new franchise owners into the fit20 “tribe.”

  Roger earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Amsterdam College in the Netherlands. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Manual Therapy and Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine. In 1995, Roger successfully founded a physical therapy practice in northern Michigan, which grew to become the regional leader with seven locations.

  After selling his shares relocating home to the Netherlands, Roger met Walter Vendel, the founder and CEO of fit20, where Roger would ultimately marry his wellness and business expertise to introduce the revolutionary, science based fitness concept to the USA.

• Emma Barry

  Founding member of group fitness juggernaut Les Mills International

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  Emma Barry

  

  Emma Barry is an observer and catalyst. A founding member of group fitness juggernaut Les Mills International and previous Director of Group Fitness Programming for luxury-lifestyle brand Equinox, Emma has inhaled senior roles in group fitness programming, product development, global training, and people & culture.

  A prolific writer and sought after speaker and mentor, Emma is fluent in what happens NEXT in fitness and personal betterment. Armed with 25 years of stories you’d rather forget, Emma is a regular contributor to the International business forums, trend panels and women’s events. Emma lives in Southern California with her husband Lee and their three life-long projects; Jas, Zoe, and Max. Emma delights in lighting fires under people and projects to catapult them towards their potential as you will experience in person.

• Josh Leve

  Founder + CEO, Association of Fitness Studios (AFS)

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  Josh Leve

  

  Josh Leve is the Founder & CEO of the Association of Fitness Studios (AFS). AFS is the only membership organization solely dedicated to ensuring the long-term success of current and aspiring studio (and gym) owners through a wide array of benefits.

  With over 60 industry partnerships including all major certifying organizations - AFS' success has translated into Josh being featured in all major fitness publications and is also a featured speaker for major fitness events such as IHRSA, FIBO, Athletic Business, Club Industry, NSCA, NASM Optima, EMPOWER!, ZUMBA, and more.

  Prior to starting AFS, Josh served as General Manager for several high-end health clubs in Chicago, successfully turning around the financial performance of three different facilities, while also managing and consulting with other fitness studios.

• Matthias Lehner

  CEO and Founder of Bodystreet

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  Matthias Lehner

  

  Matthias Lehner (52) studied marketing and communications and was responsible for many years for marketing tasks within industrial companies and on the agency side.

  In 2001, he and his wife took the step into self-employment and opened the first fitness club under the name Munich Health. In 2007, they founded the fitness chain Bodystreet. Bodystreet is the market leader in EMS training, employing over 1,000 people.

  Bodystreet is a five-time winner of the German Fairness Prize, has won the Strategy Award of the Federal Association, the Marketing Award by the German Franchise Association in 2015 and the award "Best Franchise System" in 2016. Matthias Lehner is also Senator in the Senate of Economy and Vice Chairman of the German Franchise Association.

• Stephan Tharett

  M.S. Co-founder ClubIntel

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  Stephen Tharrett

  

  Stephen Tharrett is a co-founder and partner in ClubIntel, a brand insights firm serving the health/fitness and private club industries, as well as the owner and president of Club Industry Consulting, a global consulting business based in the U.S. Stephen is also a partner in Dinosaur Games, a start-up video game developer based in Austin, Texas. From September 2008 till October 2010, Stephen served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Russian Fitness Group, a $170 million privately held Fitness Company based in Russia. Stephen had a 20 plus year career with ClubCorp, a billion dollar private club company based in Dallas, Texas, where he served in several roles ranging from director of athletics to senior vice president for athletics, golf and tennis, as well as serving on the company’s leadership cabinet and business planning committee. Stephen is a former board member and president of IHRSA, having served as president of the international association from 1996-1997. He presently serves on the advisory boards for the Association of Fitness Studios and Club Industry Magazine. He is the author or co-author of ten books for the health and fitness industry, including the recently released Fitness Management, 4th Edition, used as a textbook by 40 different colleges and universities; ACSM’s Health Fitness Facilities and Standards, 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions, and Studio Success a resource manual for fitness studio operators. He and his business partner, Mark Williamson are also the authors of CSFA’s Private Club Spa and Fitness Management Resource Manual.

• Lynne + Victor Brick

  Owners of Planet Fitness Growth Partners, LLC

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  Lynne + Victor Brick

  

  Lynne and Victor Brick are the owners of Planet Fitness Growth Partners, LLC, the largest privately-owned Planet Fitness Franchise in the Planet Fitness system, with 57 clubs. Victor is the CEO, and Lynne is the President and Chief Cultural Officer. They are also the owners of Brick Bodies, a 6-club full service health club chain in the Baltimore area. They employ over 1200 people in the following cities/states; Maryland, Washington/D.C., Florida, Tennessee, Seattle/Washington, and San Francisco/California. In 2013 they were the inaugural Planet Fitness Franchisees of the Year, and have three times been named the Planet Fitness Developers of the Year for opening 30 clubs in 3 years. They were also were named the Planet Fitness BER (Brand Excellence Review) award winners for having the highest rated clubs as determined by Planet Fitness Corporate BER club inspections. Their Brick Bodies Padonia was named by Fitness Magazine as one of the top 25 gyms in the United States. Lynne has served on the IHRSA Board of Directors and is currently on the Planet Fitness Franchise Advisory Council, and Victor was a member of the inaugural Planet Fitness Advisory Council. They are also the founders of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, whose mission is to fund, conduct, and promote research on how exercise benefits mental health.

• John Treharne

  CEO & Founder at The Gym Group

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  John Treharne

  

  John Treharne is a former accountant and England squash player who’s experience in the fitness industry spans 29 years. In 1991 John started his first gym business, Dragons Health Clubs, which listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997, with 22 clubs. Dragons was sold in 2000. He then lent his expertise to premium gym chain Esporta, before he concentrated on the launch of The Gym Group in 2008. Under John’s leadership, The Gym Group pioneered the low cost gym model with contactless, 24/7 operation and online sign-up. In November 2015, The Gym Group became the first UK health and fitness group to debut on the London Stock Exchange in over 15 years. In February 2016 the business was named as a finalist and Ruban d’Honneur recipient in the 2015/16 European Business awards. Today, The Gym Group is nationwide with 146 gyms and a roll-out programme of 15-20 new gyms each year. It has had over 100 million gym visits since launch in 2008, and has a membership of over 668,000, which would fit into Wembley, Twickenham, the Bernabeu, the MCG, Old Trafford, Croke Park and the Nou Camp combined.

• Jon Canarick

  Managing Director at North Castle Partners

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  Jon Canarick

  

  Jon Canarick is a Managing Director with 18 years of consumer private equity investment experience. Since joining North Castle in 2001, Jon has actively managed North Castle’s investments across a variety of Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Living sectors. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Barry’s Bootcamp, Brooklyn Boulders, Curves, Jenny Craig, Palladio, and SLT. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of Mineral Fusion, gloProfessional, Flatout, International Fitness, Enzymatic Therapy, Performance Bicycle, Avalon and DDF and was actively involved in our investment in Grand Expeditions. Prior to joining North Castle, Jon worked in the Financial Sponsors Coverage and Leveraged Finance groups of Bear, Stearns & Co., where he executed leveraged buyout transactions and provided advisory services for financial sponsors. Jon earned a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

• Paul Brown

  CEO & Founder at Face2Face Retention Systems

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  Paul Brown

  

  Known globally as Mr Retention, Paul Brown is the creator of the Face2Face Retention Systems launched 1995 in now the core system for many leading health clubs and groups around the world. Paul is an award-winning health club owner, keynote speaker, business consultant, best-selling author and national champion athlete with over 35 years’ experience as a leader in the health and fitness industry. Each year he delivers over 1000hrs of seminars, staff training and workshops on client retention, exercise adherence, behavioural change and revenue growth. In 2014 he was recognised as Australian Presenter of the Year and remains in high demand as a professional speaker all around the world.

• Steven Blair

  Professor, Departments of Exercise Science and Epidemiology/Biostatistics at University of South Carolina

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  Steven Blair

  

  Steven N. Blair is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Exercise Science and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. Dr. Blair is a Fellow in the American College of Epidemiology, Society for Behavioral Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Heart Association, The Obesity Society, The European Society of Preventive Medicine, Retired Fellow: The Royal Society of Medicine-London, and American Kinesiology Academy; and was elected to membership in the American Epidemiological Society.

  Dr. Blair is a past-president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, and the American Kinesiology Academy. Dr. Blair is the recipient of four honorary doctoral degrees--Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium; Doctor of Health Science degree from Lander University, U.S.; Doctorem Medicinae Honoris Causa, Southern Denmark University; and Doctor of Science Honoris Causa, University of Bristol, UK. He has received awards from many professional associations, including a MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health, ACSM Honor Award, Population Science Award from the American Heart Association, and is one of the few individuals outside the U.S. Public Health Service to be awarded the Surgeon General's Medallion. He has delivered lectures to medical, scientific, and lay groups in 50 states and 50 countries. His research focuses on the associations between lifestyle and health, with a specific emphasis on exercise, physical fitness, body composition, and chronic disease. He has published more than 700 papers and chapters in the scientific literature, and is one of the most highly cited exercise scientists with over 60,000 citations to his body of work, and an h-Index of 114. He has been listed as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds by Thompson Reuters. He was the Senior Scientific Editor for the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health.