Mindbody Names Ex-Classpass Head Lanman as New CEO

Wellness tech platform Mindbody has appointed industry veteran Fritz Lanman as its new chief executive officer.

Set to take office on Sept. 3, Lanman will replace Josh McCarter, who will transition to the Mindbody board, the company said in a news release Tuesday (Aug. 2).

“It’s the right time to pass the baton to Fritz who will lead Mindbody through this next chapter,” McCarter said. “Fritz’s tech and entrepreneurial background and his CEO experience make him the perfect fit to lead Mindbody and ClassPass.”

Read more: Wellness Platform Mindbody Buys Subscription Service ClassPass

ClassPass is an alternative to a fitness membership that gives people the option of reserving individual studio classes and gym sessions from boutique operators. Lanman was serving as the company’s CEO prior to its acquisition by Mindbody last October.

Since then, Laman has served as president of ClassPass and Mindbody Marketplace. He has been involved with ClassPass since 2013, leading the company’s seed and Series A funding rounds. Laman began his career at Microsoft, where he worked on a number of high-profile deals, including Microsoft’s multi-million-dollar investment in Facebook.

“There is tremendous opportunity in the wellness industry right now, and Mindbody is poised to capitalize on market changes and challenges,” Lanman said.

The company pointed to recent research showing that 96% of people anticipate that their exercise routine will stay the same or increase over the next 6 months. In addition, 77% of consumers are attending the same or more in-person fitness classes this year versus pre-COVID.

Related: Wellness Tech Platform Mindbody Eyes Return to Public Markets

In April, Mindbody announced it was considering a return to the public markets. The company first went public in June 2015. In 2018, Vista Equity Partners agreed to purchase all of its stock for $1.9 billion at the end of 2018.

McCarter said in April that the company doesn’t need to go public for liquidity, but an IPO would raise funds that could help it improve its tech, expand globally and move into new sectors like mental health and wellness.