Justin Musgrove, CEO of Fitness First UK, has announced he is moving on from the company to pursue non-executive and consultancy work, after less than two years at the helm.

Musgrove was appointed CEO in September 2023, shortly after a challenging restructuring case, when the court used cross cram down powers to push through rent reductions to save the business from liquidation.

Industry veteran, Musgrove, had just returned from the Middle East where he had been CEO of Leejam and then Core Life for Kun Holdings. Prior to that he was CEO at Bannatyne, where he had overseen a £50 million refresh of the estate.

Known as an effective and dynamic operator, Musgrove set in motion a premiumisation drive for the Fitness First brand: bringing in higher service standards; EYM’s AI smart circuit, in a service branded for the business as 'Able'; the HealthHero telehealth service and IV drips, as well as investment across the estate.

The first new club in more than 10 years opened in January in central London, featuring Hyrox and contrast therapy and the turnaround appeared to be doing well.

In a statement, Musgrove said: “After nearly two thoroughly enjoyable years at Fitness First, I want to thank Scott Best, his family and all the wonderful people at Fitness First. This journey was always planned to be a relatively short one.

"I leave the company in fantastic hands, in good shape and ready for its next chapter of growth. Thank you to everyone who supported me.

“I'm proud of what we have accomplished together and excited to see where the company goes next. Meanwhile, I now look forward to pursuing advisory and non-executive work driven by my desire to support companies small and large, start-up and established.”

Scott Best, chair of the business paid tribute: “Justin has been an integral part of our team, and we are grateful for his leadership and contributions over the past two years. We have achieved much needed stability following the impact of the pandemic and created a strong platform from which Fitness First can continue to grow and excel. We have established a great team both at head office and within the clubs, setting us up for a successful future. While we are sad to see him go, we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”