idas and Red Bull, what inspired you to join the Gymshark team?  Jennifer Lai: What drew me to Gymshark was the rare opportunity to build the physical retail expression of a brand that was born digitally but has one of the strongest IRL communities in the world.  After many years with established global brands, I was excited by the shift from optimizing scale to shaping the blueprint – defining what world-class retail looks like for the next generation of consumer brands. Gymshark sits at the intersection of performance, culture and community, and that’s where modern retail is headed.  I’ve spent much of my career helping large organizations evolve – whether it was leading omni-channel transformation in North America at Adidas or resetting retail ecosystems across the Asia-Pacific (Apac) at Dyson. These roles were about modernizing complex infrastructures.  Gymshark, on the other hand, offered the chance to design the system from the ground up in North America – from long-term expansion strategy to store experience to people to operational rhythm. This level of end-to-end ownership is rare and incredibly energizing.  Beyond strategy, it’s about people and culture. Gymshark’s connection to fitness, self-improvement, and community mirrors my own background in sport and my belief that retail today must be about belonging, not just transactions. The brand has emotional equity with its consumer, and physical retail is a powerful platform to bring that to life in a human, high-touch way. That combination of entrepreneurial pace, global ambition and community-first brand DNA made the decision to work with Gymshark very clear for me. IR: What does the day-to-day look like in your current role at Gymshark? JL: No two days look the same, which is part of what I love about the role. At a high level, my focus sits across three main areas: Expansion, operations and people. A large portion of my time goes into shaping our North American retail footprint – evaluating markets, locations and formats to ensure every store we open strengthens both brand presence and commercial performance. That’s balanced with operational leadership: Reviewing store performance, refining labor models, improving service flow and ensuring our retail standards evolve as we scale. Another big part of the day is people leadership. Building a retail organization from the ground up means investing in structure, capability and culture – making sure store teams feel connected to the brand and set up to deliver a consistent, high-energy experience. That includes everything from talent development to aligning cross-functional partners across marketing, merchandising and digital. Because Gymshark moves quickly, there’s also a strong strategic element – working closely with global teams to define what “Gymshark retail” should look like long term, not just solving for today. It’s a balance of future-building and real-time problem solving, which keeps the role dynamic and very hands-on. IR: What are the items in your proverbial toolbox?  JL: A good cup of tea and my AirPods.  It’s a small ritual, but drinking tea gives me a moment to pause between meetings or while traveling. That reset, even if it’s just a few minutes, helps me stay centered during busy days. My AirPods are an essential as I’m often on the go, between stores, markets or meetings, so they’re my mobile office. They’re also how I carve out personal space, whether it’s a podcast, music or just a quiet walk to reset my head. IR: What is a piece of advice you would give to aspiring retail executives who are trying to climb the corporate ladder today? JL: Focus on building capability, credibility and trust – the progression comes naturally from there.  Build range before you chase titles. The most effective retail leaders today understand the business from multiple angles – store operations, commercial strategy, consumer behavior and people leadership. Retail has become too interconnected for siloed expertise. The broader your perspective, the better your decisions will be. Stay close to the floor. No dashboard replaces real customer and team interaction. The best strategies come from understanding friction points, service flow and what teams need to succeed on a day-to-day basis. Leaders who lose that connection often design solutions that look good on paper but fail in execution. Also, learn to lead through influence, not hierarchy. Modern retail organizations are cross-functional and fast-moving. Your ability to align stakeholders, communicate clearly and bring people with you will matter more than formal authority. Finally, be comfortable with change. Retail is evolving rapidly – technology, consumer expectations and channel models shift constantly. The leaders who grow are the ones who stay curious, keep learning, and see transformation as an opportunity rather than a disruption. IR: What is the best and/or most unconventional piece of advice you’ve received during your professional journey? JL: One piece of advice that stayed with me was to run toward the problems no one else wants. The most growth in my career came from taking on messy transformations, undefined roles, or markets that needed a reset. Those situations stretch you the most and make you far more adaptable as a leader. IR: Having spent the majority of your professional career in the retail industry, what is it about this field that has kept you interested and motivated? JL: For me, retail has always felt very human. It’s one of the few industries where you can see the direct connection between people, energy and results in real time. A strategy isn’t just a slide – it shows up in how a team feels on the floor, how a customer walks out of a store and the atmosphere you create in a space. That immediacy is something I’ve always found incredibly motivating. I also grew up through sport, and retail gives me a similar feeling – teamwork, pace and problem-solving in the moment. No two days are the same. There’s always something to improve, a new behavior to understand and a better experience to design. That constant evolution keeps it exciting. What has really kept me here is the people side. I’ve seen firsthand how retail careers can change lives – developing leaders, creating opportunities, helping people grow in confidence and skill. Being able to build environments where both customers and teams feel a sense of belonging is meaningful to me. IR: What is your current favourite Gymshark SKU? JL: To love retail is to love the products we sell. I am so beyond obsessed with the amazing product our team makes at Gymshark. If I have to pick a single item or collection, it has to be the tactical collection we launched back in December. I wear my tactical shell and quarter-zip daily! Further reading: Gymshark’s Hannah Mercer on the secret to the right retail environment