The Management Team

Appointed non-executive chairman of The Gym Group in February 2012, Paul brings extensive experience gained in senior financial and general management roles in multi-site consumer-facing businesses such as Matalan, National Car Parks, GUS and Littlewoods.

Paul lives in Manchester with his family, and leads a sporty lifestyle himself, including golf, skiing and running.

Originally an accountant, John has over 20 years’ experience with the health & fitness industry. He set up Dragons Health Clubs in 1991, guiding the business’s expansion before floating the chain on AIM in 1997 and selling it profitably just three years later to Crown Sports, where he assumed the role of managing director for several years, overseeing 21 health clubs and 9 golf courses. He has built The Gym Group from scratch since 2007. He has been a fellow of the Institute of Directors since 1992.

In December 2012 John was successfully elected to sit on the ukactive Board as part of its multi-site operator category. His experience, expertise and unique insight will work to drive ukactive towards its future goals; partnering world-leading brands, increasing influence on public health delivery and steering new initiatives.

In April 2013 John was awarded 'CEO of the Year - South East' by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) at the regional finals of the Management Team Awards. The award recognises John’s successful and inspiring career at the helm of The Gym Group and is judged on the performance of the company throughout the year.

More than just a keen sportsman himself, John is a former England squash player. He was also three-times consecutive British racquetball champion in 1981, 1982 and 1983 - an achievement he retains in the Guinness Book of Records. John was later chairman of England Squash / SRA.

Jeremy joined The Gym in April 2009 as development director, looking after the acquisition and development programme.

Before then he worked at Bridges Ventures which he joined as investment director in December 2006, tasked with advising all portfolio companies on property matters – with the expansion of The Gym as one of his primary responsibilities.

He has more than 25 years’ experience in the property sector, running his own property consultancy and spending seven years as a director of acquisitions at MWB Group plc.

Andrew joined The Gym in July 2009. He previously worked at Esporta, where he was heavily involved in company policy execution between 2001 and 2008.

A passed finalist in 1997 of global accountancy body ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), Andrew’s financial and operational experience has been gained in Europe as well as the UK. He has more than 20 years’ accounting experience and more than 9 years within the health and fitness industry. Not only does he ensure The Gym Group meets all statutory accounts requirements, he provides the senior management team with management, financial and forecasting information that enables them to make prudent decisions on expansion and expenditure.

Philip has been the managing partner of Bridges Ventures since 2002 and was the founding chairman of The Gym from 2007.

Philip has previously managed two venture capital-backed businesses and a substantial pan-European business. He worked at Aiwa as director and general manager and was then appointed managing director of MWB Business Exchange Ltd, a serviced office provider.

Anne-Marie is a partner at Bridges Ventures where she is responsible for the investment in The Gym alongside a number of other investments.

Prior to joining Bridges Ventures, Anne-Marie spent eight years advising mid-market companies at Close Brothers Corporate Finance and latterly at McQueen, the specialist corporate finance advisory business focusing on the leisure, retail and consumer sectors where she advised on the sale of Crown Sports plc to LA Fitness.