Gold Fish Swim School
(248) 801-1850

Leadership Team

Posted on by Heather Gentile

Meet The Goldfish Team

Helping You Go for the Gold

While there are many reasons why Goldfish Swim School is the champion choice in the learn-to-swim industry, our leadership team plays a strong role in our brand’s success. We know what it takes to help you be successful and thrive as a valued member of our Goldfish franchise family. Take a closer look at the leadership team dedicated to giving you the resources and support you need to maximize safety and fun for everyone under your tropical roof. We have pooled all our resources together to provide you with a proven process that can help your business succeed. Call for more information about our leadership team.

Jenny McCuiston
Visionary & Co-Founder
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Chris McCuiston
CEO & Co-Founder
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Andrew McCuiston
President
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Matt Davis
Chief Financial Officer
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Shana Krisan
Chief Marketing Officer
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Daniel Israel
Chief Franchising Officer and Chief Legal Officer
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James Collins
Chief Curriculum Officer
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Bill Moorman
Chief Development Officer
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Mike Skitzki
Chief Operating Officer
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Dennis Leskowski
Chief Technology Officer
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Jenny McCuiston
Visionary & Co-Founder

Jenny McCuiston founded Goldfish Swim School Franchising alongside her husband Chris in 2006 and continues to serve as a visionary for the brand, guiding Goldfish’s proprietary Science of SwimPlay® Curriculum, which teaches students through safe, guided play.  A collegiate swimmer, two-time Olympic Trials Qualifier and now, mom to four young swimmers, Jenny has seen first-hand the positive impact that safe swimming can have on a child’s confidence, and is committed to sharing that with children across the country and beyond. In addition to growing the Goldfish brand, Jenny’s current goal is expanding the company’s philanthropic arm and mission to build awareness surrounding water safety, providing disadvantaged children with the opportunity to participate in swim lessons. An energetic, passionate spokesperson, Jenny has been featured on The TODAY Show, Live with Kelly & Ryan and in Reader’s Digest, Romper and other media outlets, demonstrating Goldfish’s unique curriculum and speaking about drowning prevention.

Chris McCuiston
CEO & Co-Founder

As co-founder and CEO, Chris McCuiston has grown Goldfish Swim School Franchising with his wife, Jenny, since 2006 to include over 160 locations in over 30 states and Canada. McCuiston attributes his success as a franchise leader to his background in team sports and his business degree, which have enabled him to build successful teams and relationships throughout the organization. He prioritizes team culture and understands the importance of engagement, well-being and recognition for the organization’s success. McCuiston’s people-focused approach has helped Goldfish Swim School become a leader in the swim lessons category, earning him prestigious awards such as EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017 and Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 in 2018. McCuiston, who graduated from Michigan State University, is proud to be creating and growing an environment of people committed to making a difference.

Andrew McCuiston
President

Andrew McCuiston is a seasoned executive with a passion for building and growing successful businesses. As President of Goldfish Swim School Franchising, he’s been an integral part of establishing the company as the premiere brand for children’s swim lessons alongside his brother and sister-in-law Chris and Jenny. His experience has helped him grow the franchise brand to over 160 locations in the United States and Canada within the first 14 years, a testament to his persistence, dedication, and hard work, but he gives most of the credit to the amazing support team. As a father of two, Andrew firmly believes in the power of the company’s core values and mission – Safety, Fun, Growth – to pass on his passion and drive growth at each and every Goldfish Swim School in North America.

Matt Davis
Chief Financial Officer

Matt Davis is currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer at Goldfish Swim School Franchising. He joined the brand in November 2016, bringing with him over 15 years of experience in the franchise industry, and holds the titles of Certified Public Accountant and  Certified Franchise Executive. Matt’s previous experience includes holding senior finance and accounting positions, with his most notable role being at Plante Moran, where he gained first-hand experience with a variety of franchise networks. Matt is a strong supporter of the Goldfish Swim School brand, having enrolled his three children in the programs over the past several years to teach them to be safer in and around the water. He truly understands the positive impact the swim schools have on children, families and local communities, and his personal experience makes him a valuable member of the team.

Shana Krisan
Chief Marketing Officer

Shana Krisan, who is a Certified Franchise Executive, currently serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at Goldfish Swim School Franchising. She has spent most of her career in the franchising industry and joined the Goldfish team in December 2013. As a leader in the brand, Shana has developed a comprehensive marketing plan and established an internal team to execute it, which has resulted in numerous achievements for the brand. She created an internal creative agency to define and safeguard the brand’s identity across all marketing platforms. Her dedication and hard work over the past decade have led to an increased brand presence and franchisee participation support, laying the foundation for future growth. Shana’s expertise and accomplishments have been recognized in the industry, including being named a Franchise CMO Game Changer by Entrepreneur, Woman of the Year in Marketing & Advertising by the Stevie Awards, and receiving top honors from Franchise Update Media for Marketing Leadership. She also plays an active role on the IFA Marketing and Innovation Committee and facilitates a franchise marketing networking group to continue to learn, grow, and share best practices.

Daniel Israel
Chief Franchising Officer and Chief Legal Officer

Dan Israel currently holds dual roles as Chief Franchising Officer and Chief Legal Officer at Goldfish Swim School Franchising, drawing on his extensive background in franchising.  He initially began representing franchisees looking to join the Goldfish brand before merging his legal expertise with sales skills to become the Vice President of Franchising and General Counsel in May 2016. Dan has awarded over 150 schools, helping to grow the brand with passionate and dedicated franchisees. Dan’s passion for swimming and water safety developed during his competitive years in high school and college. His interest in Goldfish Swim School was piqued when he took his children to the flagship school in Birmingham, MI in 2007. Today, he remains deeply committed to the company’s mission of promoting water safety and serves on the board of the State of Michigan Bar Association’s franchising section. Dan has been a Franchise Development panelist at the Franchise Leadership Development Conference. 

James Collins
Chief Curriculum Officer

A collegiate swimmer and father of two, James Collins is the Chief Curriculum Officer for Goldfish Swim School Franchising and has been with Goldfish since November 2018. In his role, James oversees Goldfish’s proprietary curriculum, The Science of SwimPlay®, which focuses on teaching water safety and swim skills through guided play. James also lends his expertise to the organization’s extensive training program for franchisees and team members, to ensure that every student sees Extraordinary Results- With years of experience as a technical swim coach, James is passionate about building the next generation of professional swimmers, which starts by teaching water safety to some of the youngest in the pool.

Bill Moorman
Chief Development Officer

Bill Moorman is the Chief Development Officer at Goldfish Swim School Franchising, joining the team in May 2019. His primary responsibility is to provide guidance and support to franchisees as they establish their new swim schools in their respective communities, assisting with site selection, supply chain management, facility design and maintenance. Prior to joining Goldfish Swim School, Bill was a franchisee with Arby’s, and eventually rose through the ranks to become the Vice President of Construction at Arby’s Restaurant Group and Steak & Shake. With over 30 years of experience in retail real estate, design and construction, Bill’s diverse background in franchising makes him a valuable asset to the Goldfish Swim School team in its franchise expansion strategy.

Mike Skitzki
Chief Operating Officer

Mike Skitzki currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Goldfish Swim School Franchising. With nearly 20 years of experience in the franchise industry, he leads the company in identifying best practices and leading innovation for the brand’s franchise management systems, tools and processes that have been essential to building the company’s successful franchise model. As a certified International Franchise Association Franchise Executive (CFE), Mike has been recognized in Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40.

Dennis Leskowski
Chief Technology Officer

Dennis Leskowski currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at Goldfish Swim School Franchising, where he leads the strategic direction of the brand’s technology initiatives, software development, and data integration efforts. His primary responsibility is to enhance the customer journey and streamline the operational process to deliver an exceptional experience and cutting-edge technology solutions to enhance the customer journey at all Goldfish Swim School locations. Prior to joining the brand, he spearheaded award-winning, enterprise-wide digital transformations for Fortune 500 pharmaceutical, healthcare and medical device companies. In addition, he led transformative initiatives that digitized sales, marketing, operations, finance and human resources divisions within a 25,000-employee multinational corporation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience in the technology realm, Dennis brings a wealth of expertise to the Goldfish team through his dedication to creating intuitive digital experiences for both customers and business stakeholders.