Adanola appoints Gymshark veteran Niran Chana to CEO

Activewear retailer, Adanola, has today announced the appointment of Niran Chana as Chief Executive Officer to drive the brand’s international expansion.

Prior to his new CEO role, effective 20 June, Chana was the Chief Commercial Officer at Gymshark. There, he was responsible for global sales, overseeing merchandising, marketing, trading and retail functions. Playing a pivotal role in Gymshark's deal with General Atlantic in 2020, which saw the brand valued at £1bn, Chana drove the growth of the women’s category during his tenure.

Hyrum Cook, who is stepping down from the CEO role after nine years, founded Manchester-based Adanola in 2012. The company has since reported a 311% increase in turnover for the financial year 2022 to 2023. Cook is pivoting to a more "creative role within the business", which will see him working together with Chana to set the vision and international growth strategy for the brand.

Adanola is currently stocked at Harrods, Selfridges, Flannels and END. The brand has ambitions for further US expansion over the coming year, as well as evolving its digital capabilities and further growing its retail partner portfolio.

Left: Hyrum Cook, Right: Niran Chana

Hyrum Cook said: "Niran's experience and knowledge of the industry will be an asset to the business as we enter a very exciting growth trajectory and, as we set our ambitious goals to have a more significant global presence, Niran will play a key role in improving end-to-end operations for growth and efficient scaling, and the overall company strategy.

"Stepping into a founder role, I will work very closely with Niran and the wider team and focus on the things that enabled me to found Adanola in the first place, including brand, product, culture, and community."

Niran Chana added: "I’m incredibly excited to be joining Adanola this summer. As one of the UK’s most coveted brands, I feel immensely humbled and motivated at the opportunity that lies ahead. Adanola is at the forefront of the consumer sector and their results to date speak for themselves.

"The business is firmly positioned for the next chapter of growth. My job will be to build upon the strong foundations laid by the team, and guide Adanola through the next phase of their exciting journey."