Kyla Pavlina returns to CrossFit

Kyla Pavlina has returned to CrossFit as chief people officer, according to a May 21 report by The Barbell Spin. The outlet said Pavlina is rejoining the company after previously serving as CrossFit’s head of human resources from 2013 through 2019. Her return comes less than a month after CrossFit said Bruce Edwards would come back as chief executive officer, effective May 4. ### Who is Kyla Pavlina, and what job is she taking on? Kyla Pavlina is rejoining CrossFit as chief people officer, The Barbell Spin reported on May 21. The report said her remit will include HR strategy, talent acquisition, people operations, executive recruitment and governance oversight across CrossFit’s global teams during 2026. The Barbell Spin said Pavlina previously held CrossFit’s top HR role from 2013 to 2019. (thebarbellspin.com) In a LinkedIn post cited by the outlet, Pavlina said she had decided to return to CrossFit “with a very full heart.” ### What did Pavlina do after leaving CrossFit the first time? In August 2021, Hyperfine said it had appointed Pavlina as chief people officer. Hyperfine said she had more than 15 years of experience in organizational development, talent acquisition, compensation and labor law, and said she had previously been chief people officer at Mesa Biotech and vice president of human resources at SeaSpine. (thebarbellspin.com) Hyperfine also said Pavlina had earlier served as head of human resources at CrossFit. A profile page on The Org, which identifies her as chief people officer at Hyperfine, says she is a licensed attorney in California and studied at Columbia University and Cleveland State University. ### What did Pavlina say about coming back now? Pavlina said in the LinkedIn post excerpted by The Barbell Spin that the past “6+ years” had given her the chance to help organizations bring “life-saving tests, tools, and medicine to society.” She said that experience “deepened my understanding of health, humanity, and what becomes possible when talented people align around meaningful work.” (hyperfinemri.com) The Barbell Spin did not publish a statement from CrossFit in the excerpt surfaced by search, and CrossFit had not published a separate announcement about Pavlina’s appointment in the material reviewed. The report nonetheless places her return inside a broader reshaping of CrossFit’s leadership team this spring. ### How does this fit into CrossFit’s current leadership changes? (thebarbellspin.com) On April 28, CrossFit said Bruce Edwards would return as chief executive officer starting May 4. CrossFit said Edwards had previously served as chief operating officer from 2013 to 2019 and had been part of the CrossFit community since its early years. CrossFit said in that announcement that it was no longer seeking new ownership and that its board believed Edwards was suited to lead the company’s next phase. (thebarbellspin.com) The timing means Pavlina’s reported appointment follows another return by a former senior executive from the same 2013-2019 period. ### What can readers watch next? May 21 is the publication date of The Barbell Spin’s report naming Pavlina as CrossFit’s new chief people officer. (crossfit.com) CrossFit’s most recent official leadership post on its website remains the April 28 announcement about Edwards, and any formal company statement on Pavlina would likely appear in CrossFit’s announcements section or through its press contacts. (thebarbellspin.com)