In our latest episode of Beyond the Capital we spoke to Sophie Lawler, CEO of portfolio company Total Fitness.

Stirred by a natural curiosity and a need to critically think about the world around her, Sophie studied Politics at university. Following her studies, driven by the need to pay for her Master’s Degree and a love of the fitness industry, Sophie started working at Altrincham leisure centre selling gym memberships. In a strange twist of fate, Total Fitness had just started opening clubs in the North West and Sophie took the opportunity to join. Deciding not to go back to University for her PhD, she spent 18 months at Total Fitness before moving to Edinburgh to join Fitness First and quickly rose to the position of General Manager.

Driven by her insatiable desire for learning and growth, Sophie was offered the role of Global Strategy Director, where she would work closely with her first private equity partner, Oaktree Capital Management. Coming towards the end of their investment journey with Fitness First, Oaktree decided to start selling the business by splitting it into international regions. To aid in delivering this strategy, Sophie was appointed Group Strategy Director and completed the sale of the business in the UK, Australia and Asia. Six months later, Sophie came almost full circle on her fitness career, re-joining Total Fitness as CEO, following conversations with the NorthEdge team.

From having a sociology teacher that shaped her career and the importance of embracing vulnerability as a CEO, to building a culture of trust and authenticity at Total Fitness, and why private equity should be seen as a partnership to ensure success for all stakeholders, this conversation with Sophie is brimming with valuable insights, lessons and advice from throughout her career.

Click here to get to know Sophie and access all our other episodes.