Gymshark has appointed Hannah Mercer to the newly created role of general manager, wholesale and retail.
Mercer joins the activewear giant after six years at sporting rival Adidas as global vice president where she “masterminded and executed the brand’s global retail strategy”.
Prior to Adidas, she held senior retail roles at Nike, Harrods and House of Fraser.
In her new role, Mercer will be responsible for the growth of the business across all physical channels “to represent the best of the brand globally”.
She reports into chief brand officer Noel Mack.
“She has joined to drive market share and optimise turnover through consumer conversion”, said Gymshark.
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The hire is the latest in a series of senior appointments at Gymshark, following Mat Dunn joining from Asos as chief financial officer, Carly Natalizia joining from The Very Group as chief digital officer, and Laurent Madeleine from Lacoste as chief supply chain officer.
Mercer said: “I’ve been watching the Gymshark story closely for a number of years now and it was really the only brand I would have chosen to join. Its strategy of moving from solely an ecom business to being fully omnichannel, is bold to say the least.”
“But it’s this boldness, this ambition, this relentless pursuit of building communities coupled with global expansion across all channels, that makes me so excited to join such a dynamic brand.
“I cannot wait to get started, continue the great work that started in Regent Street and play my part in making Gymshark a true global powerhouse.”
Founder and CEO Ben Francis said: “It’s no secret that we are looking to build on the success of our flagship store in Regent Street and massively turn up the volume on our omnichannel strategy. And I can think of no better person to lead this charge than Hannah.”
“She’s obviously got pretty much unparalleled experience in the retail industry, but her appetite for genuine community-led initiatives, as well as her commitment to inclusivity and diversity make her such an exciting signing for Gymshark. I cannot wait to see the boost she is going to bring to us all!”
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