Former Planet Fitness CEO Takes Board Role at Panobianco During Rapid Expansion
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
Panobianco Academia has taken a significant step in its growth strategy by adding one of the most recognizable operators in global fitness to its leadership table. The Brazilian franchisor has announced that Chris Rondeau, former CEO of Planet Fitness, is joining the company as a shareholder, Board Member, and strategic advisor. The appointment connects a rapidly expanding Latin American brand with an executive who helped steer Planet Fitness from a regional chain to a network of more than two thousand five hundred locations.
Rondeau sees strong similarities between what Panobianco is building today and the early stages of Planet Fitness more than a decade ago. He said, “I see the same signals in Panobianco today that I saw in Planet Fitness in 2010, just before our explosive growth phase.” He added that Panobianco has identified an opportunity in underserved markets with a high value, low price model that reaches people who have traditionally been outside the fitness industry’s focus.
Panobianco is now coming off its fastest expansion year on record. The company opened more than one hundred sixty locations in 2025, more than double the previous year, and will close the year with over four hundred operating units. The target for 2026 is six hundred locations. Leadership describes this period as a turning point where rapid expansion must be matched with stronger systems, governance, and financial structure.
One of the major initiatives underway is financial support for franchisees. Panobianco has created a financing fund with XP Investimentos to help operators secure capital for new stores and equipment. The company also has a partnership with Wellhub that provides access to capital advances and improves cash flow for expansion. These tools are designed to support both early stage operators and multi unit groups planning larger portfolios.
The company is also establishing formal governance practices to match its scale. A Board of Directors and a Franchisee Council are being put in place, and by 2026 Panobianco plans to adopt international auditing standards and implement a unified ERP system. Executives say these steps will help prepare the company for future liquidity opportunities and create a more consistent operating environment across the network.
Another major area of focus is the development of multi unit operators. This approach was central to Rondeau’s strategy during the growth of Planet Fitness in the United States, and Panobianco expects it to play a similar role in Brazil and Mexico. The company wants to help single unit franchisees become business groups capable of managing ten, twenty, or even fifty locations as the market matures.
Felipe Barth de Castro, CEO of Panobianco, underscored the significance of Rondeau’s involvement and said the company is entering a phase that requires stronger professionalization at every level. He described the current moment as a shift from fast expansion toward building the structural foundation needed to operate as a large scale fitness company with international aspirations.
