WW International, Inc. (NASDAQ:WW), the parent company of Weight Watchers, appointed Stephen Bye as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors, effective this fall.
Bye most recently served as President and CEO of connectivity intelligence company Ookla, whose brands include Speedtest and Downdetector.
According to WW International, Bye increased subscription revenue during his tenure at Ookla and oversaw the integration of multiple acquisitions.
Bye previously held senior roles at DISH and Sprint
Before joining Ookla, Bye held senior positions across the communications and technology industries.
He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of DISH Network’s wireless business, CEO of Connectivity Wireless, President of C Spire and Chief Technology Officer of Sprint.
Earlier in his career, Bye held positions at Cox Communications, AT&T, BellSouth International, Optus Communications and Telstra.
Gene Davis, Chairman of the Weight Watchers Board of Directors, cited Bye’s experience with consumer subscription businesses as a factor in his appointment.
“He redesigned and rebuilt the subscription business, sharpened the company’s product line and go-to-market strategy and drove meaningful growth, significantly increasing the company’s enterprise value during his tenure,” Davis said of Bye’s time at Ookla.
Appointment follows board search
“Weight Watchers is at an important moment, with the strength of an iconic brand, a growing clinical business and significant potential to reshape how it serves consumers,” Bye said in the statement.
Nikolaj Sjoqvist, Chair of the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, said the appointment followed an extensive search conducted by the full Board and that Bye received unanimous support.
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