New Daxko CEO Talks Trends, Human Impact & What’s Next for the Company

The co-founder of Club Automation, Jeff VanDixhorn took over as the leader of Daxko earlier this year, marking an exciting new era

Daxko, a leading software and integrated payments solutions provider in the health, fitness, and wellness industry, recently announced the appointment of Jeff VanDixhorn as its Chief Executive Officer, signaling a new era for the fit tech brand and its flagship fitness club management product, Club Automation.

VanDixhorn’s background is steeped in the fitness industry; having owned numerous multi-purpose fitness and racquet sports facilities in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, and co-founding Club Automation which was later acquired by Daxko, he is uniquely positioned to continue to build on the company’s success.

Powering nearly 40% of member-based health and wellness organizations, including large clubs, boutique studios, YMCAs, and JCCs, Daxko offers services to 19,000 health and wellness facilities and has served more than 25,000,000 members in 55 countries.

Athletech News sat down with VanDixhorn to get his thoughts on the impact he’d like to have on the industry through Daxko and his new role there.

Athletech News: Can you tell us about your journey from club operator to founder of Club Automation to CEO of Daxko?

Jeff VanDixhorn : I got into the club business in 1995. From the beginning, I loved being able to make an impact on people’s lives. I built out a club group and had good success in growing the business.

About fifteen years ago I started seeing a gap. The industry needed software that went beyond just club operations and focused more on the customer. I wanted to have a bigger impact. I decided to develop a platform with my then-business partner Max Longin.

We built a web-based application called Club Automation that took out the manual work when it came to member and prospect interaction and transactions. It was then acquired by Daxko in 2018, and in due course, I took on the role of Chief Revenue Officer. At that time I  still owned two clubs, and spending time in those facilities was very beneficial. Seeing the industry and business from both sides is important.

After this long sprint of a career, I took a break and went back to my entrepreneurial roots, starting Picklehaus while serving on the Daxko board. A few months ago, I was presented with the opportunity to take on the CEO role and it’s a great fit. The company has a tremendous breadth of impact on health and wellness. I see incredible opportunity here.

ATN: What does Daxko offer that is unique to the market?

JV : A few things. First, we see across all of health and wellness due to the breadth of types of facilities we serve. This gives us the opportunity to get ahead of trends and use best and proven practices.  Second is the investment we’ve made in the industry, and the commitment to offer cutting-edge innovation.

ATN: What trends do you see in the fitness industry when it comes to tech?

JV: A couple. First is the idea of offering a broader ecosystem. It’s necessary and important to offer an open platform that integrates with others in order to serve all the needs of the industry. We’ve spent a lot of time building out our integration ability to this end.

Second, ease of interaction for consumers is a top priority. People manage all parts of their daily lives on their phones, and there is a lot of opportunity for businesses that make this a focus.

ATN: How does Daxko plan to use AI to solve problems for fitness businesses?

JV : We’re fully embracing AI to transform how we support fitness businesses. There are a lot of eyes on AI so it’s crucial that the AI solutions we adopt truly deliver value to our customers. That’s why we’re leveraging Generative AI to help our customers craft personalized messages for their members, enhancing engagement like never before.

Additionally, we’re exploring AI program recommenders to further personalize member experiences and streamline operations. We’ve introduced AI bots across some of our platforms to automate and improve customer interactions, making their onboarding smoother. This allows our team to focus more on helping our customers succeed and grow. For any software company not considering AI to drive innovation, improve customer service, and streamline operations, they risk falling behind in today’s market.

ATN: What pitfalls fitness clubs should look out for when it comes to using software and tech?

JV : As someone who’s been in the club owner’s shoes, I’ve seen firsthand how hidden costs and overly complex tech systems can throw off your budget and bog down your team. You think you’re getting an all-in-one solution, but then you find out it needs additional systems to actually work right. And of course, data security is huge—you have to make sure any software you use is rock-solid on protecting member info and meets all the privacy rules. Getting these things right is crucial for keeping everything running smoothly and keeping your members’ trust.

ATN: What challenges does Daxko solve for operators?

JV : We solve managing the business from an operational standpoint. We manage billing, staff, programs, offerings, and scheduling all very well.  We do a good job with CRM, driving revenue, attracting new members and facilitating ongoing engagement.

Our platform also serves up a lot of data. The question with data then becomes, what do clubs do with it? So we are working on building behavior triggers and corresponding automated action that impacts the people participating. This will take more of the heavy lifting off of operators and enhance brand loyalty and engagement.

ATN: What overall impact do you want Daxko to have on the health/fitness industry?

JV : We service a significant part of the industry and with that comes a huge responsibility that we don’t take lightly. We are deeply committed to our partners with boots on the ground – those who show up every day and impact people’s lives.

We are inspired to work alongside these people and give them the best tools possible. If we can get members into facilities and provide best-in-class service that drives them to stay, we can improve their physical and mental health and have real human impact. That is what this industry is all about.

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