Expresso Fitness, a specialist in gaming technology for the commercial fitness market, has named Jeff Veldhuizen as Chief Executive Officer.
Veldhuizen, who served as VP eCommerce and VP of Direct to Consumer at Zwift, and held senior roles for more than a decade at Nike, will lead Expresso Fitness’ partner-driven B2B business, as well as drive the company’s emerging direct-to-consumer strategy.
“Jeff has an impressive track record leading teams through periods of significant growth and innovation,” said Bill Stensrud, Chairman of Interactive Fitness Holdings the firm behind Expresso Fitness.
“He is the ideal match for the Expresso Fitness culture given his strong consumer mindset, connected fitness and direct to consumer marketing expertise, and proven success scaling brands. We’re confident Jeff will take Expresso Fitness to new levels.”
Expresso notes that it is… ‘on a mission to make fitness fun for the world by building innovative, social, and immersive community-driven workouts designed to inspire and motivate people to move. The company delivers personalized workouts with leaderboards, KPIs, and a community that challenges individuals to do their best.
‘Members ride in virtual worlds, push themselves with heart rate training, and HIIT workouts inspired by gaming that combine skill and athletic ability.’
With over 15 years of innovation, Expresso claims to be a gaming technology leader for the commercial fitness market, inspiring members to lead healthier lives
“I’m joining Expresso Fitness at an exciting time with at-home fitness on the rise,” said Jeff Veldhuizen.
“Expresso is an immersive gamified fitness platform with more than 15 years of innovation and a highly engaged community. I look forward to working with this talented team to deliver significant growth through cutting-edge technology, continuous innovation, and serving the community, today and into the future.”
‘In his most recent leadership role at Zwift, Veldhuizen delivered triple-digit growth through its direct-to-consumer business, expanded its product offerings, created new digital platforms and store experiences, and expanded in global markets, including the UK and Europe, as it became a recognized global market leader in virtual cycling.’
Prior to joining Zwift in 2018, Veldhuizen spent over 10 years at Nike, where he helped pivot the brand into a world class direct-to-consumer retailer. Among his management roles at Nike, he was part of the founding team that scaled Nike.com to a multi-billion-dollar business with over 45% year-over-year growth during a ten-year period.
He also led the launch of the Nike+ Fuelband, Nike’s first wearable tech through direct-to-consumer channels. Veldhuizen additionally served at Best Buy in marketing and merchandising roles, launching Bestbuy.ca.
An avid cyclist, snowboarder, and mountain biker, Veldhuizen, 44, was born in Canada and earned a joint MBA from Cornell and Queen’s Universities, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia.
