WW International names Stephen Bye as president and CEO

WW International, Inc. (NASDAQ: WW), the parent company of Weight Watchers, has appointed Stephen Bye as its President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors, according to a company statement. The appointment is effective this fall.

Bye most recently served as President and CEO of Ookla, a connectivity intelligence company whose brands include Speedtest and Downdetector. During his tenure at Ookla, he grew the company's subscription revenue and led the integration of multiple acquisitions.

Prior to Ookla, Bye held senior roles at several communications and technology companies. 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 he 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 background in consumer subscription businesses as a key factor in the selection. "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.

"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 by the full Board and that Bye received unanimous support.

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