Peloton announces Ford exec, founder of Apple Fitness+ Peter Stern as its next CEO

Peloton on Thursday said it has appointed Peter Stern, a Ford executive and the co-founder of Apple Fitness+ to be its next CEO and president. 

Stern, the president of Ford Integrated Services, primarily oversees the automotive company's subscription services, such as BlueCruise, Pro Intelligence, connectivity and security. He also led the company's digital product team. 

Stern is slated to step down from his role at Ford and take the helm of Peloton on Jan. 1. Interim co-CEO Karen Boone will stay in the role through the end of the calendar year, while her counterpart, Chris Bruzzo will step down from the co-CEO role on Friday. Both Boone and Bruzzo will stay on Peloton's board.

Stern is the third CEO to lead Peloton in its history. The news came alongside Peloton's fiscal first-quarter earnings report. Shares of the company jumped more than 20% in early trading.

"Peter is a seasoned strategist with a track record of driving sustainable growth through innovation, and we have every confidence in his ability to lead Peloton during this important time. He brings meaningful expertise in scaling differentiated technology-oriented platforms and has a deep understanding of the health and wellness sector – making him uniquely suited to serve as Peloton's next CEO," Jay Hoag, the chairperson of Peloton's board, said in a news release.

"What's more, Peter embodies Peloton's core values, including operating with a bias for action, empowering teams of smart creatives and working together."

The announcement comes about six months after Peloton announced that former Spotify and Netflix executive Barry McCarthy would be stepping down after about two years on the job. 

McCarthy had taken over from founder John Foley and had worked to bring Peloton back from the brink of extinction by dramatically cutting costs and redirecting strategy. 

Peloton's decision to hire Stern indicates that it is tripling down on the company's main value proposition to investors at the moment: its high-margin, recurring subscription revenue. 

Stern's background running Ford's subscription business will likely assist in building out, and sustaining, Peloton's connected fitness subscribers and app subscribers.

In a news release, Peloton said that it sought out a new CEO who appreciates and loves Peloton's products, understands the company's challenges and opportunities, and is passionate about helping people achieve their fitness goals.

Stern was an early adopter of Peloton, having been a member since 2016, and "has spent over 20 years operating at the nexus of hardware, software, content and services at Ford, Apple and Time Warner Cable," the company said.

As the co-founder of Apple Fitness+, he helped the vertical grow its subscription base into the millions and knows how to operate a "complex, subscription-based business," Peloton said.

The company said it was also looking for a product innovator and strategist and pointed to the 30-plus patents Stern has secured over the years, including an online media content patent.

"Working for Peloton is a dream come true for me," Stern said in a statement. "My goal is to help millions of people live longer, healthier and happier lives. Peloton, with its unique combination of people, products and passionate Members, provides me an opportunity to do just that."