The Fitness Group, the UK’s leading fitness education training provider, has appointed Gavin Baxter as Chief Commercial Officer.

Baxter joins after five years at Active IQ, the UK’s leading awarding organisation for the active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector. He has more than 15 years' experience in the health and fitness sector working as a sports coach, outdoor activity instructor, group training instructor, personal trainer, consultant, manager and senior manager.

In his new role at The Fitness Group, Baxter is responsible for driving UK and international expansion, as the business prepares to enter new territories.

Committed to getting more people active, he was recognised as a top aspiring entrepreneur by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Unite, a global community and non-profit foundation uniting people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world.

As Head of Business Development at Active IQ, Baxter helped to maintain the business’ position as a sector leading awarding organisation and end-point assessment organisation, managing the UK Business Development team and overseeing international expansion, including a 700% growth of the international business during Baxter’s time in the business.

Before joining Active IQ, Baxter worked within organisations including The British Army, Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia), British Military Fitness, Rathbone, PGL and Operation Fitness - his own multisite bootcamp and studio.

Working as a Consultant for the Fire Protection Department of Saudi Aramco - the world's largest oil producer and exporter - Baxter was responsible for setting up an education programme that supported over 1800 firefighters and developing fitness testing to have them at peak performance for their daily duties.

Whilst running Operation Fitness, Baxter helped military veterans suffering from mental health issues get back into society, including those with PTSD or substance abuse problems who used fitness as an avenue to get their life back on track.

Commenting on the appointment, Baxter said: “Throughout my career I’ve always spoken up on the need for quality education. That belief remains as strong as ever, to give trainers the best opportunity for success in the sector. It also aligns perfectly with Steven and Scott’s ambitions for The Fitness Group to support the quality of education across the UK and internationally. It promises to be an exciting time ahead as we look to drive growth domestically and worldwide, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Co-Founder and Director at The Fitness Group, Steven Dick, added: “Gavin’s reputation in the fitness industry speaks for itself. His background and expertise in our sector are a perfect fit to help us on our growth journey, and we’re delighted to have him join the team during what is a busy and exciting time for the business.”

As well as providing courses globally through its online platform, The Fitness Group currently offers courses all over the UK, with locations in key cities such as London, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The business was set up to equip aspiring personal trainers with a robust foundation encompassing health, nutrition, fitness, and specialist areas like pre and post-natal.