CrossFit Has a New CEO and Owner

Peter Verry
·4 min read

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In a letter to its community today, CrossFit announced it has a new CEO and owner: Eric Roza.

“Since I discovered CrossFit 10 years ago, it has changed my life, and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead CrossFit through its next chapter as CEO and owner, following the closing next month,” Roza wrote in a letter that was shared by CrossFit on Instagram.

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The announcement comes during a month of turmoil for CrossFit, which began with former CEO Greg Glassman making an insensitive comment on Twitter regarding George Floyd.

On June 4, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation posted a tweet stating, “Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response, wherever they occur.” Glassman responded to the tweet: “It’s FLOYD-19.”

Following the comment, Reebok announced on June 7 that it was ending its partnership with the organization. “Our partnership with CrossFit HQ comes to an end later this year. Recently, we have been in discussions regarding a new agreement, however, in light of recent events, we have made the decision to end our partnership with CrossFit HQ,” Reebok said in a statement emailed to FN.

Glassman issued a public apology on June 8, and announced his resignation the next day. CrossFit also stated June 9 that Glassman would be replaced by company veteran Dave Castro. The move, however, did not sit well with the sport’s biggest names, including Katrin Davíðsdóttir, who publicly stated she would not compete in the 2020 CrossFit Games. “My moral compass and values I stand for make it an easy decision for me to make: I am out. The only way I see forward is for a blank slate. [Former CrossFit CEO] Greg [Glassman] and those who stood by while this happened cannot be a part of CF,” Davíðsdóttir wrote on her personal Instagram account on June 12.

Roza addressed the weeks of angst in his letter.

“In the past weeks, divisive statements and allegations have left many members of our community struggling to reconcile our transformative experiences in the local box with what we’ve been reading online,” he wrote. “My view is simple: Racism and sexism are abhorrent and will not be tolerated in CrossFit. We open our arms to everyone, and I will be working hard to rebuild bridges with those whose trust we have lost.”

Roza continued, “I come to you with deep humility and the realization that we have hard work to do. I am committed to listening, I am committed to learning, and I am committed to leading positive change. Most of all, I am committed to CrossFit and to you, as a member of our community. If you are committed to the future of CrossFit and have ideas, I want to hear from you. And if you loved CrossFit, and we lost you along the way, I want to regain your trust and partnership.”

View this post on Instagram

@rozaeric: “Dear CrossFit community, Since I discovered CrossFit 10 years ago, it has changed my life, and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead CrossFit through its next chapter as CEO and owner, following the closing next month. As a box owner and athlete, I’ve experienced CrossFit’s transformative power and the shared bond it creates between people of different races, genders, ages, ethnicities, incomes, educations and physical abilities. That magic, created by our affiliate owners, coaches, and athletes in 158 countries around the world, is real. And I believe it makes the world a better place. In the past weeks, divisive statements and allegations have left many members of our community struggling to reconcile our transformative experiences in the local box with what we’ve been reading online. My view is simple: Racism and sexism are abhorrent and will not be tolerated in CrossFit. We open our arms to everyone, and I will be working hard to rebuild bridges with those whose trust we have lost. I come to you with deep humility and the realization that we have hard work to do. I am committed to listening, I am committed to learning, and I am committed to leading positive change. Most of all, I am committed to CrossFit and to you, as a member of our community. If you are committed to the future of CrossFit and have ideas, I want to hear from you. And if you loved CrossFit, and we lost you along the way, I want to regain your trust and partnership. Please reach out to me at eric@crossfit.com.” #committedtocrossfit

A post shared by CrossFit (@crossfit) on Jun 24, 2020 at 7:09am PDT

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