New senior appointment at OCL

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 within OCL, Simon Blair will be responsible for helping to direct the company strategically. He will be working with colleagues in the senior team as well as the board to facilitate key projects and ensure OCL continually moves forward, maintaining its standing as the key health and wellbeing provider in the community.

Blair has extensive experience of the leisure and fitness industry, having spent 18 years working at Trafford Leisure across several key roles. His time with the leisure provider saw him complete 13 years as Head of Marketing and Sales, four years as a General Manager and a brief period in his last role as 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 highlights for me were the huge success of a new private swim scheme, which now sees 7,500 people learning to swim each week and the building of a dedicated in-house marketing, design and communications team.”

 

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. After completing his studies he then moved into local authority provision

Blair says: “In our industry, opportunities such as this present themselves rarely. 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 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.”

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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NOTES TO EDITORS

About Oldham Community Leisure
Oldham Community Leisure (OCL) is a community benefit society responsible for the management, operation and development of 14 sports centres, swimming pools and synthetic pitches in Oldham.

OCL’s vision is to create an environment in which sport, active recreation and leisure are integrated into the lifestyle of all Oldham citizens, in order that community cohesion and health benefits are continually improving.