New senior appointment at OCL

Simon Blair

Oldham Community Leisure (OCL) has employed a new Head of Business Development, responsible for the trust’s marketing and sales functions plus its Customer Relationship Management platforms, including the OCL contact centre.

As a new senior team member, Simon Blair will be responsible for helping to direct OCL strategically. He will be working with the senior team as well as the board to facilitate key local projects and ensure OCL maintains its standing as the key health and wellbeing provider in the Oldham community.  

Blair has extensive experience of the leisure and fitness industry, having spent 18 years working at Trafford Leisure across several key roles, including Head of Marketing and Sales, General Manager and Head of Fitness and Wellness.

Blair says: “During my time with Trafford Leisure there were some great successes; it was a real honour to be part of the team that realised these achievements. The highlight for me was the huge success of a private swim scheme, which now sees 7,500 people learning to swim each week.”   

Blair began his journey in the industry as a fitness and class instructor in the private sector while completing his studies at university, which included a Leisure Management degree and a subsequent master’s degree in Exercise and Nutrition.
 
Blair says: “I am delighted and grateful to have been given the chance to accept this role with OCL. I am hugely passionate about exercise and wellbeing – the ability to work in a strategic role that focuses on improving the health of the Oldham community through exercise provision is perfect for me.

“I am excited for the different challenges that await me; OCL is a fantastic operator that’s not afraid to try new things and push boundaries. It has a great portfolio of facilities too, which is something I’m excited to work with.”

He continues: “I am particularly excited to be working on things I haven’t fully experienced before, such as the Milltown Race events, the first of which is a Junior Triathlon on 26th of April.

“I am also excited to be involved with the Glo Gym facility, based at Oldham Athletic Football club. It’s a truly fantastic fitness and gym offer that goes up against the large budget offers out there and I’m looking forward to marketing this product.”

Stuart Lockwood, Chief Executive of OCL, says: “I am delighted to welcome Simon into our team. He has a wealth of experience across many roles with an impressive track record of success. Simon is a very customer-focused individual, which fits in perfectly with the OCL ethos of putting the customer first in everything we do.”

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