Ben Francis MBE is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of leading fitness brand, Gymshark. In 2020 Gymshark secured a deal with General Atlantic that valued the company at over £1bn, making it one of the few British businesses to achieve 'unicorn' status since 2001.
Ben started Gymshark when he was just 19 years old, while he was still a student at Aston University. He famously juggled his studies with working as a pizza delivery boy in order to fund his Gymshark venture.
Since then, Gymshark has grown from a small operation in Ben’s garage to become one of the world's most recognised fitness brands. The company attributes its success to its strong online presence, continuous innovation, and commitment to producing high-quality performance wear.
Ben was CEO of Gymshark until 2015, utilising his expertise in business, social media marketing, sales, fashion, and market research. He also understood the value of collaborating with social media influencers in order to increase visibility. After stepping aside as CEO, he continued to use these skills in executive roles at Gymshark...Ben Francis MBE is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of leading fitness brand, Gymshark. In 2020 Gymshark secured a deal with General Atlantic that valued the company at over £1bn, making it one of the few British businesses to achieve 'unicorn' status since 2001.
Ben started Gymshark when he was just 19 years old, while he was still a student at Aston University. He famously juggled his studies with working as a pizza delivery boy in order to fund his Gymshark venture.
Since then, Gymshark has grown from a small operation in Ben’s garage to become one of the world's most recognised fitness brands. The company attributes its success to its strong online presence, continuous innovation, and commitment to producing high-quality performance wear.
Ben was CEO of Gymshark until 2015, utilising his expertise in business, social media marketing, sales, fashion, and market research. He also understood the value of collaborating with social media influencers in order to increase visibility. After stepping aside as CEO, he continued to use these skills in executive roles at Gymshark until August 2021 when he once again took on the position of CEO.
He studied Business and Management at Aston University but decided to stall his studies in order to dedicate more time to Gymshark. Prior to founding Gymshark, Ben also developed iOS apps, two of which made it into Apple's fitness charts.
Ben’s achievements as a young entrepreneur have been widely recognised. In 2018 he was nominated as one of Forbes ‘30 under 30’ in Retail and E-commerce, the same year Gymshark’s revenue reached $120 million. In December 2020 Ben was named EY's UK Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2022 he was awarded an honorary degree by Aston University in recognition of his achievements in business.
In January 2023 Ben Francis was appointed an MBE for services to commerce and the economy.READ MOREVIEW LESS
According to Gymshark’s founder and chief executive Ben Francis, Gymshark’s move into the physical retail space has allowed it to combine in-store events with product presentation - a “remarkable” recipe for success.
Founded by Ben in 2012, Gymshark has grown into a leading sportswear brand and in 2020 acheived 'unicorn' status after being valued at over £1 billion. The business credits its success to a strong online presence, continuous innovation and high-quality performance wear.
Manière De Voir is a premium clothing and accessories fashion brand based in the United Kingdom. The unisex clothing range is designed in-house with a focus on garment construction, innovative and sustainable fabrics, customised prints and unique finishings.
Ben shares his wisdom with Steven Bartlett and talks about his journey from pizza delivery boy to CEO of one of the fastest growing and most exciting companies in the world.
In this episode of the High Performance Podcast, hosts Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes sit down with Ben Francis, founder and CEO of Gymshark.
In less than a decade, Ben Francis, the CEO of Gymshark, has gone from sewing T-shirts in his mother's garage to leading a highly successful e-commerce fitness fashion company.
EY Entrepreneur of the Year UK celebrates exceptional business leaders, recognising their innovation, vision, and contributions to the economy, and encouraging entrepreneurial excellence across the United Kingdom.
Forbes 30 under 30 is a list issued annually by Forbes magazine that recognises leaders, innovators and trailblazers in various industries that are under the age of 30.
In June 2021 Ben became Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity’s first-ever Patron. Driven by his desire to give back to his community, Ben will help the charity improve the lives of women, babies, children and families, both in Birmingham and further afield.
In April 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gymshark raised £180,000 for the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital by encouraging people to ‘sweat for the NHS’. The company donated £5.00 for every 'sweaty selfie' posted to social media, enabling the hospital to buy vital medical equipment and continue their life-saving work.