AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MapMyFITNESS, an Austin-based company that empowers active lifestyles by offering comprehensive Web and mobile fitness solutions, announced today that Richard Jalichandra has been named Chief Executive Officer. Current CEO Robin Thurston will remain on the company’s Board of Directors and work alongside Richard on the senior management team, leading the company’s product and development teams to ensure MapMyFITNESS continues to deliver the most innovative products and further consolidates its leadership position in the rapidly emerging global Web and mobile fitness application market.
"We are thrilled to welcome Richard to the MapMyFITNESS team,” said Mr. Thurston. “His innovative thinking, online media experience, and deep advertising knowledge will enable the company to adeptly navigate its next stage of development. Richard’s leadership skills and extensive experience in the Internet and media markets make him the right CEO to lead MapMyFITNESS at this time, not only in our core Web and mobile competencies, but also in new enterprise directions where our technologies have significant potential," added Mr. Thurston.
"I'm very excited to join the MapMyFITNESS team,” said Mr. Jalichandra. “The company has already achieved so much, and I look forward to helping it continue to grow. MapMyFITNESS provides me a truly unique business opportunity that combines my lifelong passion for fitness with social media, online advertising and e-commerce. The company’s pioneering Web and mobile apps are helping both consumers and businesses foster active and healthy lifestyles in fun, engaging and value-creating ways.”
“Richard brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to an already dynamic senior management team that includes co-founders Robin Thurston and Kevin Callahan,” says Michael Dodd. “The company’s revolutionary ideas in the health and fitness application space, clear revenue path, and diverse and exciting partnerships combined with Richard’s experience and knowledge should pave the way for a truly great story that we are excited to be a part of.”
Mr. Jalichandra is a vastly experienced senior Internet executive who has held leadership roles across the media spectrum: as a client, at an agency, as a publisher, and with an advertising network. He’s also a skilled M&A veteran who has been intimately involved in over a billion dollars of Internet acquisitions on both the buy and sell sides. Most recently, he was the President and CEO of Technorati Media, the largest social media ad network, and he currently serves as a Board advisor at Technorati Media, Weather Underground, MyYearbook and Skimlinks. Prior to Technorati, he worked as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Battery Ventures and as an M&A and strategy consultant for several Internet properties and investment firms. Previously, Mr. Jalichandra served as SVP of Corporate Development for Exponential Interactive, Tribal Fusion’s parent company, SVP of Business Development for Fox Interactive Media, and Vice President of Business & Corporate Development at IGN Entertainment (acquired by Fox Interactive). Before joining IGN, Mr. Jalichandra led national accounts sales at Lycos, was Vice President of Business Development at Neopost, served as Senior Vice President/Managing Director at Answerthink, and founded K23 Creative Services in Singapore.
Mr. Jalichandra is transitioning from his current position at Technorati and relocating to Austin, TX, the site of MapMyFITNESS’s corporate headquarters. He expects to assume his role of CEO later this summer.
About MapMyFITNESS:
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, MapMyFITNESS, Inc. was founded in 2007 and operates a suite of fitness-oriented websites and associated mobile applications including MapMyRUN.com, MapMyRIDE.com, MapMyWALK.com, MapMyHIKE.com, MapMyFITNESS.com, MapMyMOUNTAIN.com and MapMyTRI.com. MapMyFITNESS provides more than three million runners, cyclists, walkers, and other fitness enthusiasts with access to an innovative geo-mapping application that permits them to track and store their daily running, cycling, walking or hiking routes in an online database, a searchable database of routes across the globe, essential community-based fitness content, online Nutrition Center, training tools and fitness calculators, comprehensive global event listings, and a dynamic social network of healthy and active individuals. The MapMyFITNESS iMapMy mobile apps use the built-in GPS technology of the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android to enable users to record and chart their daily fitness activities and routes. For more information about MapMyFITNESS and its offerings, visit http://www.mapmyfitnessinc.com/.