// Ben Francis, founder and CEO of Gymshark has been awarded an MBE for services to business
// Johnnie Boden, founder of Boden has also been awarded the CBE for services to Fashion and to the Retail Sector
Ben Francis, the founder and CEO of Gymshark has been recognised with an MBE for services to the Business Sector in the King’s New Year’s Honours list.
Francis, who is still only 30, began his £1.25bn sportswear empire sewing his own gym clothes in his parent’s garage in Bromsgrove back in 2012 before successfully harnessing the power of social media, becoming the fitness brand of choice for Gen Z and millennial gym-goers.
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In a Linkedin post, he said: “I can’t believe it but I’ve been awarded the honour of an MBE.”
“This is probably the most surreal feeling I’ve had when being given an award. I’m so grateful to all those around me who support me in all that I do at Gymshark.”
The sportswear giant opened its first-ever flagship store on Regent Street in October which is focused on three key pillars – community, retail and lifting.
Alongside Francis, Johnnie Boden, the founder of Boden was also recognised in the King’s New Year’s Honours list with a CBE for services to Fashion and to the Retail Sector.
The former stockbroker created Boden back in 1991 with just an eight-piece menswear collection, which was modelled by his friends.
Since then the brand has grown into a mainstay fashion brand for the British middle class as he pioneered the use of home shopping catalogues before launching its first transactional website in 1999.
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