Xercise4Less beefs up boardroom

Yorkshire-based gym chain Xercise4Less has seen two additions to its board of directors. The new arrivals form part of the brand’s continued expansion across the country and follow the recent £5m investment by the Business Growth Fund.

Former Fitness First UK MD Peter Boddy joins the board as non-executive chair, working alongside CEO Jon Wright to help deliver the stated mission to ‘revolutionise the budget gym sector’. In addition to his tenure at Fitness First, Boddy was previously CEO of sports nutrition brand Maximuscle and saw its successful sale by private equity group Darwin to GlaxoSmithKline in December 2010.
Also new to the Xercise4Less board is Simon Tutt, taking up the position of finance director having held similar posts at Harvey’s Furnishing Group, Dwell Retail and the Elvi Group.

Of the two new appointments, Wright says: “They are the latest investment in the growth of our business. A growing trend which sees the more nimble low-cost gyms increasingly taking market share from mid-market operators means this is the time when Xercise4Less can really make its mark. Simon and Peter’s involvement is exciting for everyone.”

Future plans for Xercise4Less – currently operating 15 sites, predominantly in the Midlands, Yorkshire and the north-east of England – include the opening of a further 100 clubs across the country over the next five years, with agreements already signed on 20 sites.

The company’s partnership with supermarket chain Tesco saw the opening in mid-November of the first Xercise4Less at Tesco gym in Stockton-on-Tees.

Simon Tutt, Jon Wright and Peter Boddy – driving the growth of the Xercise4Less brand and portfolio