Lift Brands has appointed Kevin Yates to its EMEA leadership team as chief operations officer.

He'll be tasked with driving the operations of franchised fitness operator Snap Fitness in the UK and Ireland.

In his role, Yates will oversee all areas of the Snap Fitness business with a particular focus on brand performance with franchisees.

Brand development will also be a strong focus, as Lift Brands gears up to aggressively grow Snap Fitness across the region.

Yates said: "As I step into my new role, I’ll be calling on my experiences in the business world to drive forward the Snap Fitness brand.

"Snap Fitness is gearing up for a crucial phase of its strategic development, with plans to unveil numerous new locations in the next six months.

"I’m excited to be able to use my own business expansion experiences to assist franchisees in fostering substantial growth and making significant strides in their business."

Lift Brands has also named Kristen Horler as head of sales.

In a statement, Lift Brands said Horler will have "an integral role" in the expansion of the Snap Fitness brand, alongside Yates.

The two appointments come as Lift Brands has confirmed 12 new Snap Fitness openings across the UK and Ireland before early 2024, which will take the number of gyms to 102 – with plans to expand further.

Lift Brands' global CEO, Ty Menzies, added: “Snap Fitness is expecting to open their 100th location in the UK & Ireland very soon with a further two confirmed to follow in quick succession and more in the pipeline.

"Snap Fitness is now the sixth largest fitness operator in the UK, with projections indicating we will rise to fourth over the next year or so."

Yates was COO at 1Rebel and founder ofTrib3e, the boutique operator that closed down its UK head office and consolidated operations back to its Spanish base in February this year. Although he retains a stake in Trib3, he is no longer connected with the business operationally.