PureGym appoints Chesser as CEO – Humphrey Cobbold becomes Chair

PureGym has appointed Clive Chesser as its new chief executive, with current CEO, Humphrey Cobbold, stepping aside and becoming Chair later this year.

Chesser, who will take over the role on 6 November 2024, is currently CEO of Punch Pubs & Co, one of the UK’s largest pub companies.

Cobbold joined PureGym as CEO in January 2015 and has driven the group’s transformation from disruptive new market entrant to one of the budget fitness market leaders in the UK and internationally.

PureGym said that, as Chair, Cobbold would still make “a significant contribution to the business”, while handing over executive responsibility to Chesser.

In a statement, PureGym said: “The Board is delighted to have secured someone of Clive’s calibre and experience to join the Group. As well as his obvious credentials in multi-site leisure and hospitality, Clive brings significant experience from international development and franchising and is a seasoned executive and leader within the private equity arena.”

Commenting on his move, Humphrey Cobbold said: “It has been the stand-out privilege of my career to have guided PureGym through its development over the past 10 years.

“PureGym is a business with a remarkable culture and a big heart driven by our dual mission to make Everybody Welcome and to Inspire Healthier Nations wherever we operate. I am hugely grateful to my colleagues who make this mission a reality every day.”