HITIO Gym appoints Andrew Rayes as International Sales and Marketing Director

HITIO Gym has announced the appointment of Andrew Rayes, senior health, fitness and leisure professional, as International Sales and Marketing Director, to lead the Norwegian franchise’s B2B and B2C sales strategies.

HITIO, which combines a traditional gym and studio offering with combat sports training, has become one of the largest fitness chains in Norway, now with 32 clubs nationwide. In his new role, Andrew will lead the B2B franchise sales and B2C marketing strategy to establish and grow the concept throughout the UK and Europe.

Andrew joins HITIO with over 20 years’ experience in senior commercial roles across the private and public health and leisure, fitness and golf industries, including most recently as Group Sales Manager of Mytime Active, a social enterprise working in public sector health, leisure and golf.

In his time at Mytime Active, Andrew oversaw the implementation of a unique family friendly sales strategy to service and grow total sales revenue across the leisure, golf and health divisions, resulting in a 14% growth in revenue and a 20% increase in members by the end of the 2017/18 financial year. 

Prior to his work in the public sector, Andrew spent 13 years working for Fitness First, including two years in strategic corporate management, following seven years managing all five regions across the London network. 

Commenting on Andrew’s appointment, Mark Chambers, CEO of HITIO International, said: “Andrew’s expertise in both B2C and B2B sales, alongside his wealth of knowledge of the fitness sector, makes him the ideal person to help grow the HITIO brand internationally. Having also seen his impact in the ‘family’ arena, we are very excited to have him onboard.”

“Having worked with Andrew at Fitness First, I have had first hand experience of his drive and determination to succeed, and I am confident that he will play a significant role in helping us to achieve our ambitious roll-out plans.”

HITIO’s distinctive format aims to bring people together through physical activity by targeting a large customer base including families with children, who can exercise at the same time thanks to HITIO’s unique offering. Each facility combines a state-of-the-art gym and studio with group training in a variety of martial arts, with membership packages available to suit individuals’ training needs.

On his new role and being responsible for the brand’s international growth, Andrew commented: “The fitness industry is so competitive, and it is rare that an operator comes to market with such a distinctive model.

“In my opinion HITIO’s offering ticks all the boxes, it’s affordable to all and family and community focussed with the combination of gym and martial arts helping to combat the wider challenges communities are facing. With the HITIO business model already established in Norway, it is an attractive proposition to aspiring business owners looking to open something

more than just a gym.”