PureGym names new CEO; Cobbold is chair

The UK's largest affordable fitness chain, PureGym, announced today that its CEO, Humphrey Cobbold, will transition to the role of chair on November 6. Clive Chesser has been named as his successor.

Chesser, an avid health and fitness enthusiast, currently serves as CEO of Punch Pubs & Co, one of the UK's leading pub companies, with 1,300 publicans and management partners nationwide. He brings extensive experience in international development, franchising, and private equity.

Cobbold stepped in as PureGym's chief executive in January 2015, leading its growth from 60 gyms to over 600 across ten countries, amassing more than two million members.

The future plans include expanding with 330 new locations over the next four years—200 in Europe and 130 in the Middle East and North Africa.

"It has been the highlight of my career to guide PureGym's development over the past decade," Cobbold stated.

"We've enjoyed 10x growth, major M&A deals, and faced challenges such as the global pandemic—which resulted in zero revenue for nearly a year—a cost-of-living crisis, and many other obstacles."

"PureGym is a business with a remarkable culture and a significant mission to make everyone feel welcome and to inspire healthier nations in all our locations.

I am incredibly thankful to my colleagues who tirelessly work to make this mission a reality every day," he added.

Chesser expressed his enthusiasm about joining PureGym during this exciting phase, stating, "I’ve long admired PureGym's mission to inspire healthier nations, with inclusivity at its core.

It's a true British business success story, and Humphrey and his team should be proud of their accomplishments. I look forward to contributing to its future success, both locally and globally."

Leonard Green, the majority equity owners, also welcomed Chesser's appointment and praised Cobbold's achievements.

Partner Kris Galashan commented, "Humphrey has been an outstanding CEO for the PureGym Group. He's a major reason we invested in the business in 2017 and have remained supportive through challenging times."

"As investors, we're thrilled that Humphrey will stay closely involved with the Group and are pleased to have Clive as the new group CEO.

Clive brings valuable experience in international development and franchising from his tenure at Häagen-Dazs and as a leader in the pub industry.

Alongside Group CFO Alex Wood and Rebecca Passmore, Group COO, he joins an exceptional leadership team prepared to drive further growth and success."

Despite his success, Cobbold remains humble and spoke openly in HCM about being "unceremoniously fired from Wiggle" and the lessons learned from it.

"The setback had a silver lining," he said. "It made me reconsider my career goals, and I'm grateful for that time because it led me to PureGym, where I've built a more successful business. I now believe that setbacks can lead to positive outcomes."

The fitness industry continues to attract high-ranking leaders from hospitality, including Belinda Steward at Places Leisure, who will speak at the HCM Summit, and Colleen Keating, the new CEO at Planet Fitness.

Source: healthclubmanagement

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