Shape up the Nation Names Michael Zani Chief Executive Officer

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(January 6, 2010)--Shape Up The Nation, the first wellness company focused on leveraging the power of trusted social networks to promote healthy living, today announced the appointment of Michael Zani to chief executive officer. In his new role, Zani will oversee and execute the corporate direction and vision for Shape Up The Nation.

 

“With his wealth of experience in management and operational excellence, Mike brings a track record of sound leadership and strategic innovation that will be a valuable asset to Shape Up The Nation,” said Rajiv Kumar, founder and chief clinical officer, Shape Up The Nation. “We have seen a dramatic surge of interest in our social networking wellness platform from both employers and health plans, and we are confident that Mike will move the company forward to meet this demand.”

 

“Shape Up The Nation has developed an engaging and effective wellness program predicated on the growing merits of social networking and peer-to-peer interaction. I’m thrilled to join the Shape Up The Nation team at such a critical juncture for the company,” said Mike Zani. “With the national focus on healthcare reform and renewed public interest in living a healthy lifestyle, Shape Up The Nation is well-positioned to set the standard for an online social networking wellness platform.”

Prior to joining Shape Up The Nation, Zani served as president of LEDCO, a manufacturer of rugged computer peripherals, where he restructured and redesigned much of the company’s sales and operational strategies. Zani was also responsible for leading the company through an acquisition and its eventual sale to Havis-Shields, a manufacturer of mission critical products designed for public safety fleet and fire vehicles. He also served as co-founder and partner at Phoenix Strategy Investments, a private investment fund, and was a strategic consultant at marketing firm Digitas. Zani began his career in marketing and sales with Vanguard Sailboats.

Zani holds a bachelor’s of science in geology from Brown University and a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School. An avid sailor, Zani trained for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team and served as one of four accredited coaches for the 1996 games, earning the title of Developmental Coach of the Year, as selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

 

About Shape Up The Nation
 

Shape Up The Nation is the first wellness company focused on leveraging the power of trusted social networks to promote healthy living. Founded in 2006, Shape Up The Nation has pioneered an innovative approach to behavior change that uses social networking to reduce health care costs by improving the health of large populations through peer motivation, support, and accountability. Shape Up The Nation’s evidence-based online platform is used by more than 100 leading self-insured employers and health plans. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Shape Up The Nation is online at www.shapeupthenation.com.