Gymshark drafts in former Farfetch exec as chief people officer

Keane joins following 11 years at luxury fashion retailer Farfetch, where she held the position of chief people officer for the last six years.

During her time there, she supported the company’s growth from 100 people to over 7,000 globally, including the integration of 10 acquisitions.

In her new role, Keane will be responsible for the people strategy with a “key focus on attracting, developing and retaining world-class talent through the next critical stage of growth”.

This is the latest in a series of new appointments by the retailer, following Mat Dunn joining from Asos as chief financial officer, Carly Natalizia joining from The Very Group as chief digital officer and Hannah Mercer joining from Adidas as general manager, wholesale and retail.

Keane said: “As Gymshark continues its journey from being solely an ecom business to being fully omnichannel, it’s absolutely critical we attract, develop and retain world-class talent. Meeting Ben [Francis, chief executive] and the ambitious team at Gymshark, I felt both the humility at the core of the company, as well as the powerful culture and values that are so pivotal to its success today. So, when you combine this with the incredible ambition to become the most iconic British brand, it’s an opportunity I just cannot wait to get stuck into.”

Francis said: “It’s no secret that I want Gymshark to become a brand that outlives us all. To achieve this, we need the very best people driving us forward and sharing this ambition – they are comfortably our most important asset.

“It was evident from the first minute of meeting Siane that she shared this belief. When you couple that with her track record, approach and values, she is the perfect person to lead this charge and play a huge role in taking Gymshark to the next level. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to bring.”