Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. (TSI) (NASDAQ: CLUB), the largest owner and operator of fitness clubs in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, announced J. Russell Findlay has been named to the new position of vice president, sales and marketing. In this newly created position, Findlay will be responsible for delivering top line revenue and reorganizing the go-to-market strategy as well as all marketing, branding, corporate communications and public relations activity. He will report directly to Martin Annese, TSI's Chief Operating Officer (see also Town Sports International Holdings, Inc.).
With the last eight years spent in various high-ranking positions in marketing and brand management for PepsiCo, Findlay most recently served as director of marketing for all soft drink innovation. Prior to that, Findlay was director of marketing on brand Pepsi and was responsible for launching Diet Pepsi Max. Before brand Pepsi, Findlay accepted the role as VP Field Marketing for Pepsi Bottling Group, where he helped restructure and re-launch the department. In this role he was responsible for leveraging brand marketing tactics to help drive top line revenue.
Prior to his role at Pepsi Bottling Group, Findlay helped launch and subsequently ran the $1 billion Sierra Mist brand, and had integral involvement in notable marketing elements as multicultural marketing strategy, sports marketing strategy and advertising and media strategy. Findlay started with PepsiCo in innovation prior to moving to PepsiCo acquisition South Beach Beverages (SoBe), to launch and run Mr.Green, SoBe's first soft drink. While working on advertising and media for the various brands he led, Findlay oversaw numerous Super Bowl advertising campaigns, two of which won EFFIE awards for effective advertising.
Prior to his tenure at PepsiCo, Findlay began his career at Unilever holding a myriad of roles over a 10-year period. Beginning as a territory sales representative, he progressed through various sales roles of increasing responsibility. By the end of his tenure at Unilever, Findlay's experiences had included sales management, category management, innovation, direct marketing, digital media, consumer promotion, interactive marketing, and trade marketing.
'Hiring someone with Russ' skill set, experience and proven track record in sales and marketing-18 years at two of the world's top consumer products companies-is a big win for Town Sports International,' said Alex Alimanestianu, CEO of TSI. 'We expect his energy and top-level experience to contribute heavily to continued company growth and customer satisfaction.'
'I am honored Town Sports International has entrusted me with this exciting opportunity,' said Findlay. 'This position uniquely blends my professional experience with my personal passion for sports, fitness, and wellness, which resonates well with TSI's mission.' Findlay is a professionally certified ski instructor as well as a US Soccer Federation referee. 'I look forward to joining the team and building upon the company's strong reputation to better serve and expand our customer base,' Findlay concludes.
Russell Findlay holds an MBA from Xavier University and a BS in marketing from the State University of New York at Oswego. About Town Sports International Holdings, Inc.: New York-based Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. is a leading owner and operator of fitness clubs in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States and, through its subsidiaries, operated 166 fitness clubs as of June 30, 2009, under the brand names New York Sports Clubs, Boston Sports Clubs, Washington Sports Clubs, Philadelphia Sports Clubs, and three clubs located in Switzerland. These clubs collectively served approximately 503,000 members, excluding pre-sold, short-term and seasonal memberships. For more information on TSI, visit http://www.mysportsclubs.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6051002&lang=en
Keywords: Town Sports International Holdings, Inc., Other Sports, Health, Fitness and Nutrition, General Sports, Communications, Marketing, Sports, Food, Advertising, Beverage, Entertainment, Marketing, Soccer, Sports
This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com.
