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(Alliance News) - Gym Group PLC on Wednesday said it has hired Will Orr, managing director of Times Media Ltd, as its new chief executive, expecting him to take his post later in the year.
The news comes after the Croydon, England-based chain operator of 230 low-cost gyms announced the resignation of Richard Darwin as CEO in late March. Since then, Founder & Chair John Treharne has served as executive chair.
Gym Group noted Orr's most recent experience at the publisher of the Times and Sunday Times. He "is a proven business leader, having led high-performing teams through substantial periods of growth at Times Media, and also in previous managing director roles for RAC Ltd and British Gas," it said in a statement.
British Gas is part of Centrica PLC.
"Will brings significant experience developing and delivering on pricing, proposition, digital marketing and retention strategies, as well as operational expertise whilst prioritising the customer experience, particularly for subscription-based business models in the consumer and media sectors," Gym Group said.
Orr added: "The Gym Group is a business I have admired for some time, both for its impressive growth, and for its founding mission to democratise fitness, something that is even more important now than when its first gym opened 15 years ago.
"I'm looking forward to building on the success the team have achieved to date, leading the company through this next exciting phase of its development and maximising the longer-term opportunity as the demand for health, fitness and well-being continues to increase."
Shares in Gym Group were down 0.4% to 103.60 pence each in London on Wednesday at midday.
By Greg Rosenvinge, Alliance News reporter
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