Ahead of its US physical retail entry and wider growth plan, Gymshark has promoted Kim Dolder, general manager of North America, to the additional role of chief commercial officer.
Kim Dolder
Becoming the retailer’s first board member to be based in the US, Dolder will continue to operate out of New York, reporting to founder and CEO Ben Francis and leading Gymshark’s US office.
Dolder, who joined the sportswear brand last May, will see her additional role to ensure the business “has the single architecture in place to become a fully omnichannel enterprise”.
She will also be responsible for “driving revenues, introducing new products and scaling its business channels”.
Dolder said: “Gymshark has had an unbelievable 12 years as, predominantly, an e-commerce company, but it’s no secret that we are pivoting to become an omnichannel organisation.
“So to step into the CCO’s shoes and play a role in evolving the incredible brand we’ve built so far, building our retail footprint and expanding our wholesale and franchise partnerships is beyond exciting.”
Francis added: “If we are to become an iconic 100-year brand, there are two things we can’t compromise on — being global and being omnichannel. To achieve them, we need a chief commercial officer who can be the architect to create the blueprint to get us there.
“I can think of no one better than Kim to step into this role. Kim is our first chief based in the US, so this serves as a real sign of intent of our global ambitions. Since joining, she has already added so much value to our North American operations and her experience, insight and sheer will to win will definitely take Gymshark to new heights.”
Last week, the company announced it will debut a US flagship store in New York later this year. The 13,000 sq ft Bond Street unit will be its third flagship after London’s Regent Street.
Last June, it moved its North America headquarters to New York and welcomed over 7,500 members to its biggest ever sporting event in the city the following month.
