PureGym Group has announced that group chief financial officer, Alex Wood, is taking over the role of CEO, as Clive Chesser steps down.
Wood has been with the company since September 2018 and has been instrumental in many aspects of its growth and development across Europe and the US, including the acquisition of Blink Fitness in the US in 2024-2025 and previously the acquisition of Fitness World in Denmark and Switzerland.
The company says his leadership during the pandemic ensured PureGym emerged from a challenging period well capitalised and able to take full advantage of global expansion opportunities.
Wood previously held the roles of CEO and CFO at Gala Bingo and co-led a private equity backed management buy-out of Gala Bingo from Gala Coral Group, where he had been group M&A director. Earlier in his career, he spent 13 years at KPMG where he was a director in corporate finance. A former Great Britain junior oarsman, he was awarded a First Class Master’s degree from the University of Nottingham in 2000, where he studied Chemistry.
Wood says: “It's a great privilege to be appointed CEO of a business that has played such an important part of my professional life. PureGym is a fantastic business with an amazing team and prospects. The global fitness and wellness industry is a hugely exciting, fast growing and dynamic industry and I look forward to working with the team to continue our growth and development.”
Chesser joined the low-cost operator in November 2024, from Punch Taverns, during the negotiations for Blink Fitness. Bringing strong international development and franchising experience, he said it was refreshing to join an industry with tailwinds.
After helping to get the Blink Fitness deal over the line, Chesser oversaw the integration of the estate, which involved retiring the Blink Fitness brand, as well as the Pure Fitness brand which PureGym had previously used in the US. Recently he has talked of medium-term ambitions to double the size of the estate, with strong growth potential in the US.
The company has seen considerable growth with Chesser heading up PureGym’s strong management team. In 2025 it opened a record-breaking 60 new gyms, ending the year with 714 sites and membership of 2.3 million at the year end.
While keeping a tight hold on costs, the company is broadening its offering, currently exploring Relax and Recover zones and reformer Pilates studios, as well as rolling out smaller footprint gyms to lower density areas of population.
Speaking at the HCM Summit last year, COO, Rebecca Passmore, said that the management team had benefited from the experience Chesser brought from the hospitality industry.
Speaking to HCM today, Chesser said: “I move on from PureGym with great pride, both from the positive impact we've had on so many individuals and communities and from the amazing profit growth achieved under my tenure.
“PureGym is a great business in a wonderful sector and I would like to thank the team and the wider fitness community for welcoming me so warmly. I leave with many happy memories, but excited for new opportunities.”
PureGym chair, Humphrey Cobbold, who was CEO for 10 years, paid tribute to Chesser and gave Woods his vote of confidence: “The Board and I are delighted to have appointed Alex as CEO. I've worked with him for eight years and I have seen him develop from a first-class financier to being an all-round business leader and strategist. His impact on the shape of the group and our historic success is very clear, and I have no doubt he will be an excellent CEO at a hugely exciting time for PureGym.
“I would like to thank Clive for his hard work and dedication in leading the business.”
Kris Galashan, a partner of majority shareholder, Leonard Green & Partners, says: “We've worked closely with Alex, over the course of our ownership and have seen him deliver great results and show tremendous broad-based leadership through an incredible range of challenging situations and exciting opportunities. We are certain he will be an outstanding CEO of the PureGym business.
“We also wish to thank Clive for his important contribution to the Group during a period which has seen PureGym step forward significantly in both performance and breadth of activity. We wish Clive the very best for the future.”
Chesser told HCM it’s an amicable arrangement and he will initially be spending some time with his family, while considering his next options.
