The Next Chapter Is Always The Best Chapter In The Health Club Industry
”
As I reflect on the history of ABC Financial Services and most importantly the success of our clients over the past 27 years, I feel proud and humbled. We’ve helped a lot of fitness entrepreneurs realize their dreams and take advantage of unprecedented growth in our industry during the past few decades. Without the involvement, support, and dedication of countless people, from employees to clients, and from industry leaders to our shareholders and vendor partners, ABC Financial would not be where it is today. Our team is dedicated more than ever before to getting better and expanding our capabilities for our clients and for our industry as a whole. We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve. It has been quite a ride, and the great news is we are just getting started.
As part of our continued efforts to improve you might have read the press release last week, regarding the next chapter of my career. I have moved into the role of Vice Chairman of ABC Financial. This new position will allow me to support our team and focus more strategically on the positive impact we can continue to have for our clients and for the health club and fitness industry we all love. Working closely with our partners at Thoma Bravo and the executive team we are building together allows me to make bigger contributions to our long-term vision at ABC Financial Services.
Bill Davis has assumed the role of Chief Executive at ABC Financial and is my hand-picked successor. To have him lead us into the next chapter of our journey as CEO is something I could not be prouder and more excited about. I’ve worked with Bill closely and know he shares my passion and commitment to our customers and employees. Bill’s exceptional track record will enable us to deliver even better world-class experiences and innovative solutions for our customers and, ultimately, the fitness industry as a whole. I have never been more confident or excited about our future and our leadership position.
Bill and the ABC Financial team have been hard at work building depth and expertise with the addition of some exceptional leaders whom I have gotten to know and who are all very excited about joining ABC Financial.
Khal Rai recently assumed responsibilities as ABC’s Chief Operating Officer. Prior to starting at ABC, Khal served as the President and CEO of SRS Health, a SaaS company in the healthcare industry. In his new role as COO, Rai will apply the expertise and insight he has gained from a career in technology to ensure ABC continues to deliver a positive and consistent client experience across the client life cycle.
Ryon Packer is ABC’s new Chief Product Officer. Packer is a career product leader who previously served as the Senior Vice President of Product Management for the financial services company FISERV. Packer’s priority at ABC is to ensure that every interaction with member, club and payment management systems is a seamless and frictionless process with the stated objectives of continual innovation and ABC’s ongoing commitment to promote “Raving Fans”.
Ashok Pinto is the new Chief Technology Officer for ABC. Throughout his career in technology, Pinto has sought out emerging tech companies and formed organizations that deliver unique solutions while driving operational efficiency. He most recently worked as the CTO at cxLoyalty, a customer engagement company. Pinto is committed to building a development organization that continues to deliver quality solutions to the market in an accelerated manner.
Cristine Kao recently joined ABC as the Chief Marketing Officer after serving as the Vice President of Global Marketing at ACTIVE Network, a portfolio company of Global Payments Inc. Kao brings her knowledge of modern marketing that includes demand generation, product marketing, sales enablement, and customer success. Her focus at ABC will be creating compelling and inspirational market and ABC community engagement through on-going education and differentiated experiences.
Kyle Garner has been with ABC since January 2019 and is ABC’s, Chief Sales Officer. Kyle brings sales, marketing, service, and operational experience after an extensive tenure with Xerox, most recently as Vice President of its Graphic Communications division.t. At ABC, Kyle will focus on growing ABC’s business by utilizing his experience of leading multi-channel go-to-market organizations.
Rachana Jain serves as ABC’s new Chief People Officer. Rachana brings over 20 years of strategic management experience to the Human Resources function where she has led teams through organizational development and growth transformation. Jain will be accelerating a cultural transformation at ABC focused on digitalization and innovation, that is designed to deliver an exceptional client experience every day.
These are some outstanding people who share my and Bill’s commitment to our customers and employees. While these represent new faces for our company, we are continuing to count upon and rely on important leaders that have worked with ABC Financial and our clients for years as well. The combination of insights and experiences among this incredible group of hard-working leaders, both new and long-tenured, lays the groundwork for some great things to come.
As professionals in the fitness and health club business, we are all about helping people open new chapters in their lives to become better, fitter, and healthier versions of themselves. As we all know being healthy and fit does not have an end. It is a journey with no finish line. In life and in business achievement is never a finish line; it’s a point on a far greater journey. It’s a moment to take a deep breath, look back, and enjoy what you’ve experienced and be grateful for it. Then it is up to us to turn around and look towards the next milestone, and the next achievement. As author Greg Anderson said, “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” That is what we are doing here at ABC Financial. You see the next chapter is always the best chapter.
As we evolve and get better as a company I look forward to supporting our team in serving our clients, new and old, in the many chapters to come as ABC continues to expand as the leading provider of software, billing, and membership services to over 7,000 North American commercial and franchise health club and fitness facilities. As always I so appreciate all of your support, comments, and encouragement.
—————————————-
Paul Schaller is Vice Chairman of ABC Financial Services, a premier provider of technology and related financial services for the health and fitness industry, renowned for exceptional client service for clubs and their members. Its market-leading billing and collections solutions automate the revenue cycle that enables owners and operators to achieve better financial performance, all in a Software-as-a-Service and cloud-based platform. ABC’s comprehensive technology solutions include DataTrak advanced health club management and MYiCLUBonline extensible member engagement platforms that allow owners and operators to efficiently manage employees, members, resources, sales and drive improved member engagement. Founded in 1981, ABC helps more than 7,000 health clubs across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico perform better and more profitably. ABC Financial is a Thoma Bravo portfolio company, a private equity firm based in San Francisco and Chicago (thomabravo.com). You can learn more by following Paul on Linkedin and Facebook.
“
