Gymshark names “industry hero” Mercer as first GM, Wholesale and Retail

Key senior appointments continue to be made at Gymshark, with Hannah Mercer (who it called an “industry hero”) now joining the fast-growing fitness community and apparel brand in the newly created role of General Manager, Wholesale and Retail.  

Meanwhile, Kim Dolder is also joining as General Manager, North America, to lead American expansion.

These are the latest in a series of major appointments following Mat Dunn joining from ASOS as Chief Financial Officer, Carly Natalizia (formerly O’Brien) joining from The Very Group as Chief Digital Officer and Laurent Madeleine joining from Lacoste as Chief Supply Chain Officer.

Mercer arrives at Gymshark following six years at Adidas as Global Vice President where she “masterminded and executed the brand’s global retail strategy”. She also led the Adidas Diversity Council. 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 will also be tasked with “driving market share and optimising turnover through consumer conversion”, reporting into Chief Brand Officer Noel Mack.

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 e-comm 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.”

Ben Francis, Founder and CEO of Gymshark, added: “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.”

Dolder joins from Abercrombie & Fitch to become the UK brand’s GM, North America, to lead its American expansion.