NEW YORK – November 03, 2026 -- Equinox appointed Brendan Whitworth, most recently CEO of Anheuser-Busch, as Chief Executive Officer, as a completed refinancing gives the luxury fitness operator more than $1 billion of capital planned for investment in its club portfolio, member experience and growth initiatives. Whitworth also joins the Equinox Board as a Director.
Spevak moves to Chairman after leading Equinox since 1999
Harvey Spevak, who has run Equinox since 1999, becomes Chairman. He said he was personally involved in recruiting Whitworth and has known him for several years.
Whitworth held several commercial leadership roles at Anheuser-Busch, including Chief Sales Officer, before becoming CEO. He previously held senior commercial roles at PepsiCo and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He holds an economics degree from Bucknell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Equinox targets about 50 new clubs from a base of 118 locations
Equinox operates 118 clubs in 18 major markets across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company reports double-digit topline growth, and says recent club openings have far surpassed projections. Membership, activity and check-ins are at all-time highs.
Management plans to accelerate openings across a pipeline of approximately 50 new clubs, expand into high-potential markets and make significant investments in existing locations.
Existing investors back refinancing with new equity and debt participation
The refinancing was supported by additional equity from existing investors Silver Lake, principals of Related Companies, and Ares. Existing lenders Ares and Sixth Street took part in the debt refinancing. The company says the transaction significantly strengthens its balance sheet. Source material gives no breakdown of the equity and debt amounts.
Silver Lake's Greg Mondre and Stephen Evans said Equinox has "significant capital to drive further growth." Related Companies said it first invested in Equinox two decades ago. Ares executives Jim Miller and Karen De Castro described the deal as an expanded investment through a scaled capital solution.
Whitworth said he will work with Spevak and the Board to invest in more member experiences and to raise the bar in health, wellness and performance.