Scott Goudeseune
President and Chief Executive Officer
Scott Goudeseune has more than 20 years experience in extensive operations, sales and marketing for fitness and consumer based companies. At ACE, he oversees all aspects of operations and provides extensive leadership and direction for all business activities. Goudeseune is continuously updating all methods and procedures within the organization to leverage the latest technologies and health and fitness training and educational offerings. He has also spearheaded the development of ACE’s effort to establish and enhance an influential, powerful and unified political voice for the fitness industry. Focused on increasing the number of ACE-certified fitness professionals who actively participate in grassroots advocacy, Goudeseune is committed to work to pass laws that will help affect societal changes toward a more fit America. He was instrumental in establishing and building ACE’s relationship with AARP, which provides AARP members accessibility to ACE-certified professional trainers at a discount. Goudeseune also sits on the board of directors of the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) where he serves on the Public Policy and Strategic Planning Committees.
Goudeseune previously served as ACE’s vice president of sales & business development. In 2003, he was assigned the vice president of operations position and then served as chief operating officer. During his tenure with the company, ACE has earned accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and expanded key business relationships with leaders inside and outside the fitness industry.
Prior to joining ACE, Goudeseune was the vice president of U.S. sales for Reebok/CCS Fitness in Aurora, CO, where he was responsible for commercial and specialty retail sales of Reebok’s fitness equipment line totaling $18 million annually. Before joining Reebok, he worked as the Manager of Learning and Development of U.S. Sales for Coors Brewing Co. in Golden, CO.
In his free time, Goudeseune pursues his favorite passion – gourmet cooking. He lives in San Diego with his wife Barbara.
Alex Mirnezam, MBA
Chief Financial Officer
Alex Mirnezam brings more than 16 years of experience in finance and accounting in both public and private organizations to ACE. As a key member of the senior executive team at ACE, he handles all financial and administrative functions and plays a critical role in strategic development.
Before joining ACE in April 1999, Mirnezam spent nearly 10 years in a variety of senior finance positions with Coverall North America, Inc., an international franchise company with more than 4,500 franchisees and a Fortune 500 company based in San Diego. Mirnezam led the accounting and finances for the company, which regularly exceed over $150 million in annual sales. He also played a key role in acquiring several related companies for Coverall, resulting in a sales increase of 40 percent.
Prior to his role at Coverall North America, Mirnezam served as the chief financial officer and corporate controller for private and public companies in the franchise and service industries, including Jenny Craig International and Thrifty Oil Co. He holds a master’s degree in business from National University in San Diego, CA.
Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer
As Chief Science Officer, Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., FACSM, represents ACE as a national and international lecturer, writer and expert source. Bryant has written more than 200 articles or columns in fitness trade magazines, as well sports medicine and exercise science journals, and authored, co-authored or edited 30 books. He can often be found as an authoritative resource for fitness and nutrition articles in a variety of respected national outlets including USA Today, Washington Post, The New York Times, Parade, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, Consumer Reports, Fox News, and CNN Headline News. Bryant also shares his expertise within the fitness industry as a scientific advisory board member for numerous organizations and publications including the Center for the Study of Sport at Seattle University and Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, ClubLife and Oxygen magazines.
Thanks to Bryant’s academic background and his experience with the research, development and design of commercial and consumer exercise equipment, he has extensive knowledge on the practical application of exercise science and how to protect users against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. Bryant has held a position on exercise science faculties at several prestigious institutions including the United States Military Academy at West Point, Pennsylvania State University and Arizona State University. Bryant earned both his doctorate in physiology and master’s degree in exercise science from Pennsylvania State University. In 2006, Dr. Bryant received the Penn State Alumni Fellow Award which is given to select alumni who are considered leaders in their professional fields.
As a community leader, Bryant shares his knowledge of exercise physiology and athletics as a youth sports coach in baseball, basketball and soccer. He and his wife, Ginger, reside in Redmond, WA with their four sons.
Graham Melstrand
Vice President, Operations
With over twenty years of fitness industry experience, Graham Melstrand joined ACE in 2000 and is now responsible for daily operations of the organization including educational services, resource center and commercial accounts departments. Melstrand is also an advisory board member to the Medical Fitness Association and a commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) where he serves on the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (COAES) and on the Joint Committee on Health Fitness Facility Standards for the NSF International.
At ACE, Melstrand previously served as director of educational services, managing ACE’s continuing education and certification programs. Prior to joining ACE, he worked for equipment manufacturer Reebok/CCS Fitness as director of new business development. There, he was responsible for development and execution of the North American sales plan including key federal government, military and university accounts, trade association partnerships and specialty retail. He also held the position of territory manager for Star Trac.
Melstrand’s strong background in fitness includes work as an athletic trainer for the Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Institute in Costa Mesa, Calif., and at University High School in Irvine, Calif. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education/athletic training from California State University, Long Beach. His athletic achievements include participating in the U.S. Olympic Trials (1984, 1988), as a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program (1983 – 1990) and competing as a nationally ranked cyclist between 1981 and 1991.
Rachelle Deal
Vice President, Marketing
Rachelle Deal brings excellent skills in corporate strategy and planning, customer relationship management, brand management, advertising and promotions to her role as the vice president of marketing for ACE, which she joined in early 2006. As a vital member of ACE’s executive team, Deal is responsible for the continued strength and management of all marketing and corporate communication initiatives, strategies and messages.
Previously, Deal most recently served as director of marketing for the Water and Power Community Credit Union in Los Angeles. Prior to joining the Credit Union, she led the marketing team for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world’s largest scuba diving certification organization, based in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. She holds a bachelor’s degree in both marketing and international business from California State University, Long Beach, and is a certified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.