Princess Robinson – Social Media Exec

At school I always had interests in creative subjects like art and drama but I also loved the sciences and was naturally quite good at them from a young age. This meant my natural route ended up being a science based one and I went on to study Biomedical Science at University.  The more into science I got the more I realised I didn’t massively enjoy it and I was constantly trying to find ways of fulfilling the creative void I had. This resulted in me blogging, vlogging, and starting a podcast with my friend. It was then that I realised I definitely wanted to explore a more creative career path and I applied for the job as a social content graduate at Gymshark.

As you can tell from the above I most definitely did not always know what I wanted to do. I fought with it for a long time and felt I had to take a very academic route as that was the ‘right thing to do’, rather than exploring a career in things that I genuinely enjoyed.

In terms of getting into the business, as I said before I applied for a graduate social role. I was worried that I wouldn’t get it because I didn’t have a degree in a relevant subject and so I did lots of research into brands and their socials to give my application the best chance possible. I think this knowledge of competitor brands and their social plans combined with the social bits I had done in my spare time definitely helped me get the role. I also think I had a lot of transferable skills from my degree such as data anlysis that really comes in handy when we are pulling insights and data from our social channels.

Now I have a permanent position in the social team as a Social Content Executive. I am really happy in my role and I feel I still have so much to learn about socials. I see my future staying in marketing and would love to broaden beyond social into more IRL marketing and events in the future. I love the idea of knowing bits of all of the parts which make up the wider marketing funnel rather than niching down into one area.

Sammie Jones – Head of Studio Ops

My favourite subjects at school were PE and Media Studies, I always loved being active and watching films! I went on to study Creative Technologies (basically an early version of what’s now called AI – Photoshop, videography, photography, etc). After graduating I fell into being a letting agent, which was my part-time job since 16, with no real plan for my degree. A recruiter convinced me my customer service skills combined with my media background were perfect for Account Management at a creative agency – I had no idea what that meant but said yes anyway, and it was SO MUCH FUN! Long hours, great clients, made friends and I got to feel creative without being the creative person. I worked my way up, stayed connected with people along the way, and one of those connections eventually led me to Gymshark – a 20-minute interview (with preparation on researching the brand and prepping examples of my previous achievements in work) and I got the job, again without really knowing what it was other than “organizing the creatives”! That was 8 years ago and since then I’ve gone from Campaign Executive to Head of Brand Operations. We are there behind the scenes making sure everything flows smoothly from team to team, so anything you see digitally from Gymshark has gone through my team. I’ve somehow landed the perfect role that combines my love of organisation, creative media, and sports and fitness…and when you love what you do, it never really feels like work!

Christian Mason – Brand Transformation Lead

At school I wanted to be a police officer, went to college and did public services, volunteered as a special constable for 5 years whilst working at Sainsbury’s. I started my career working in customer services at a Bank, moved to a Quality Assurance role, then into process improvement. Then became an IT change manager. During COVID I wanted to try something new so applied and was successful at getting a role at Gymshark as process improvement exec. I then moved into a Process Improvement Manager role and managed a team of 2 across process, systems and reporting.I moved to the NEC for 6 months as PMO lead before coming back to Gymshark as Brand Transformation Lead, leading the technology and RWF transformations. I still say I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but what I have found is that I have pushed to get into roles that I have enjoyed or been good at, so moving from QA to process improvement, I wanted to make change and help people with their issues, so naturally moved in that direction. My now wife found me the role at Gymshark, as I needed a change, we have lived in and around Birmingham my whole life so knew of the brand well. We are about to do a huge technology transformation across our creative studio, GTM teams and marketing department. HUGE change for the business with loads of benefits, I am excited to deliver these changes as I believe it will have a positive impact on the business. Currently, I can’t see myself doing anything different than change/transformation, it is a role where you can see the impact of your efforts and help driving meaningful change to business and its people.

Ellie Cooper – Sustainability Graduate 

At school, I was particularly interested in human rights, especially women’s rights, and began to see how climate change can worsen inequalities across gender, race, and location. I studied Philosophy, History and Economics at A-level, which helped me understand people, systems and decision-making. I went on to study International Relations at Cardiff University, where environmental politics tied these interests together. I realised my main focus was sustainability – finding practical ways to improve lives. I became especially interested in fashion’s environmental and social impact, exploring topics like microfibres in WHO policy, women’s rights in supply chains, and climate-related security risks. To specialise further, I completed a Master’s in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Queen’s University Belfast, choosing it for its practical placement opportunities. I undertook internships with WRAP (a sustainability NGO), Derry City Council’s Sustainability Marketing Department, and a resale start-up: Tern Circular. These experiences showed me I was most motivated by the pace and impact of the business sector.I didn’t always know the exact role, but I always wanted to have a positive impact. Over time, my focus narrowed to incorporate my interests of human rights and politics into sustainability, and then to sustainable fashion and circularity. I found my role at Gymshark on LinkedIn and prepared thoroughly by researching their sustainability work and identifying gaps. I linked my experience such as researching water saving cotton alternatives at WRAP to Gymsharks’s expanding cotton product range and suggested improvements as well as end of life solutions including resale opportunities. My internships, leadership / volunteer experience as co-president of a refugee support charity, and a sustainability-focused Instagram account helped me stand out by showing both expertise and initiative. My videos highlighting my slow fashion gym fits which usually included second-hand Gymshark items was particularly unique and hard to ignore. I’m currently a Sustainability Graduate at Gymshark (just under two years), leading the circularity pillar. My work focuses on improving product lifecycles – from reducing supply chain waste to exploring resale and end-of-life solutions. I enjoy the practical, impact-driven nature of the role. Going forward, I’d like to progress into roles like Circularity Manager or exploring recommerce positions as the secondhand market is outperforming apparel.

Sian Keane – Chief People Officer

I’m the Chief People Officer at Gymshark, which means I look after our people strategy across our head offices in the UK and US, as well as our retail teams. I’m part of the Executive team and spend my time shaping our culture, values, hiring, career development and how it really feels to work at Gymshark day to day.

My career journey has been very squiggly. My first ever job was at McDonald’s, and after university I worked in social services in Australia, supporting children with intellectual disabilities. When I moved to the UK, I had to start again and found my way into recruitment, assessments and later fast-growing start-ups. I’ve worked across different roles and industries, learning as I went.

I was headhunted for the role at Gymshark from a recruiter.  I initially took the call because I was at a turning point in my career after 11 years at Farfetch and I wanted to try something different.  The opportunity to work at a slightly earlier stage business that was growing had me interested, and I like working in Founder-led environments.  My skill-set and what I enjoy are complex businesses and Gymshark piqued my interest as it is a UK based international business that is multi-channel.

After meeting Ben and the Executive team, as well as members of the People Team and EAs I met along the way, I knew it was something that aligned with my values as well, which is very important in my role. 

I never had a clear plan – I followed my instincts and paid attention to what I enjoyed, where I was learning and when work didn’t feel like work. I’ve had to work hard to learn most of what I know, and that’s built my confidence over time.

My advice to our finalists today? Don’t assume others are smarter than you. Your perspective is unique – use it as your strength, speak up, and trust that growth comes from trying things, not having everything figured out.

Emma Fretwell – Strategy Manager

My career path wasn’t something I mapped out from an early age. After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at university, I began my career in strategy consulting, where I completed an internship before joining as a graduate, where I worked across a range of industries and business challenges.

Through consulting, I discovered a particular interest in retail and consumer brands. Combined with my passion for running and fitness, this led me to pursue opportunities within the activewear industry. Before joining Gymshark, I spent time understanding both the company and the wider market through research, podcasts and visits to the Regent Street store, helping me assess whether it was the right fit for me and vice versa.

I’ve been part of Gymshark’s Strategy team since 2024, helping to shape strategic decisions that support the company’s continued growth. I enjoy contributing to a fast-growing business while working alongside talented people in a genuinely positive culture. I love what I do today and, while I don’t have a fixed plan for exactly where my career will take me, I’ve found that following my interests and staying open to opportunities has served me well so far.