Fitness First has appointed David Anderson as chief marketing officer to lead the latest phase of its brand transformation. Anderson is thought to have impressed group CEO Andy Cosslett during the pair’s time together at hotel chain InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

Both men joined IHG in 2005 and worked together for six years before Cosslett stepped down, later taking up the reigns at Fitness First. Anderson subsequently worked for Virgin Australia Airlines, where he was general manager for brand strategy and performance, responsible for developing and executing the company’s customer, product and service strategy.

Following strong results revealed in September, Fitness First announced plans to double the pace of its club rebrand roll out to reach 155 clubs globally and more than half a million members by the end of 2014.

Anderson will be expected to help nurture the company’s ongoing recovery and comes at a time when the group is undergoing a £270m global makeover, implementing a widespread training overhaul and planning major expansions in Asia.

Building on this platform, Anderson will be leading an ‘innovation agenda’ to create added value services, new fitness products and brand campaigns. Central to this will be the launch of a new fitness app and digital platform in January 2015 that will give members constant access to personalised fitness plans, expertise, and feedback.

“David played a key role in the growth of IHG’s brands, including InterContinental and helped design the system that commercialised them to great success,” said Cosslett.

“His time working with some of the world’s best-known customer facing businesses makes him ideally suited to lead the next phase of Fitness First’s journey from a traditional gym business to a 21st century fitness brand.”

To read an exclusive interview with Fitness First CEO Andrew Cosslett – from the March edition of Health Club Management magazine – click here.