Crunch Fitness Appoints Keith Worts To Chief Executive Officer

NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crunch Fitness, the health club chain renowned for fusing fitness and entertainment, today announced the appointment of Keith Worts as its new Chief Executive Officer. Having served as Crunch's President for the past three years, Worts has been instrumental in driving the company's continued success during that time. Worts is being given the reigns by the previous CEO and successful industry veteran, Jim Rowley, who will now step into the role of Chairman of the Board.

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"We are grateful to Keith for all of his contributions to Crunch Fitness. His passion and dedication to the brand and the team shows through in everything he does for Crunch," said Jim Rowley, Crunch Chairman of the Board, "Keith helped lead the company through an important stage in its evolution and as CEO, will now move the business forward for many years to come."

Considered to be one of the top executives in the fitness industry, Worts has provided Crunch with the stability and leadership that has helped the brand grow from 18 to 59 locations in just over three years. His leadership, knowledge, experience, and proven success in sales, operations, and brand strategy make him the perfect person to take Crunch to the next level in 2013 and beyond.

"I couldn't be happier to continue leading the team here at Crunch during this exciting time as we pursue a dynamic and ambitious future," said Worts of his new position. "The Crunch brand has something unique and compelling to offer, and I look forward to even more success in the coming years."

Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of No Judgments. Headquartered in New York City, and co-owned by New Evolution Ventures (NeV) and private-equity firm Angelo Gordon, Crunch serves over 200,000 members with 59 gyms worldwide, including 31 franchise locations CT, FL, TX, WA, OR, CA, NJ, VA, NY and  Australia, and is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe. Go to www.crunch.com  for more information.

About New Evolution Ventures (NeV): Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures (NeV) has a two-decade plus record of success in delivering superior returns on investment, specializing in the acquisition, development and operations management of both domestic and international fitness endeavors.  Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is setting industry-wide standards one brand at a time. Operations have spanned over 20 countries worldwide and included hundreds of facilities. Our team's industry experience has positioned NeV as a global leader in its field, expanding and reinventing the vision of fitness. For more information, visit www.nev.com.

Angelo, Gordon & Co., L.P. is a privately held limited partnership founded in November 1988, and currently manages approximately $23 billion.  The firm's investment focus centers on core competencies of real estate, credit, and private equity.  Angelo, Gordon has over 200 employees (approximately half of whom are investment professionals) and is headquartered in New York, with associated offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., London, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Sydney. For more information, visit www.angelogordon.com.

SOURCE Crunch Fitness