Ohana Growth Partners has had a lot of positive changes in its leadership suite lately. It has celebrated the hard work of its teams by promoting two different staff members.

Karen Cepress has been appointed vice president of strategy at Ohana Growth Partners. She has been working with Ohana Growth Partners for 12 years, where she began as a general manager. With hard work and ambition, she was able to work her way up from general manager, director of analytics, director of member and ops services, and now, vice president of strategy. She started her career in the Army as a military intelligence analyst, where she learned how to analyze complex data and translate information into strategic recommendations for military command operations. After her time in the Army, she spent several years as an accountant, then worked in the hospitality industry before landing on a role with Ohana Growth Partners.

“When I joined Planet Fitness^® and Ohana Growth Partners, it felt like a natural convergence of everything I had learned. It allowed me to bring together my intelligence and analytics background, my financial acumen and my operational experience in a truly people-first environment,” said Cepress.

Andrew Poirier has been named vice president of operations. He has worked with Ohana Growth Partners for more than 10 years, moving up the ranks from general manager to regional manager to director of operations, and now, his new role as VP of operations. He started his career in the U.S. Navy, where he learned discipline, teamwork and accountability, as well as when his passion for fitness began to grow.

“Following the military, I worked for myself as a computer technician. This strengthened my entrepreneurial mindset and networking skills, but I missed working as part of a team and the camaraderie I experienced in the military. When I eventually found Planet Fitness, and more specifically, Ohana Growth Partners, that sense of teamwork and shared purpose returned. I also recognized the strength of the brand and its growth trajectory as an opportunity to help build something meaningful,” Poirier said. “What I enjoy most about working within the Planet Fitness system is how that camaraderie extends beyond individual franchise groups. Across the system, franchisees and teams are open to sharing best practices, supporting one another and collaborating. I believe our franchise organization is truly unique in that regard.”

In their new roles, the two will be able to work on different areas of the business to help Ohana Growth Partners grow even stronger.