Equinox has appointed Bindu Shah as its new chief marketing and digital officer, the company announced in a press release. Shah will report directly to President Marc Mastronardi and join Equinox’s executive leadership team. Her main role will be to increase brand awareness and boost membership growth and retention for the luxury fitness chain. She takes over from Jeff De Korte, who left the company last fall.
Before joining Equinox, Shah was the global chief marketing and digital officer at fashion brand Tory Burch, a role she held since 2019. Her career also includes positions at Sephora, Gilt Groupe (owner of Gilt.com), and McGraw-Hill. Shah started her professional journey in investment banking at Morgan Stanley.
Equinox currently operates more than 100 full-service fitness clubs worldwide and plans to open many more in the coming years. Marketing will be crucial for the company, especially as potential customers have many fitness options and are increasingly cautious with spending due to economic uncertainties.
Shah’s hiring follows a series of recent executive changes at Equinox. In August, Marc Mastronardi was named president after moving from Macy’s, where he managed over 500 stores. Shortly after, Equinox brought in Matt Dunnigan, formerly of Restaurant Brands International, as chief financial officer, and Gretchen Koback Pursel from Tiffany & Co. as chief people officer.
Founded in 1991, Equinox built its reputation with upscale gyms in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and London. However, it now faces tougher competition from both national and local fitness chains, including Life Time Fitness and Chelsea Piers Fitness.
In August, Blink Fitness, a budget-friendly brand once owned by Equinox Group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Equinox Group, which is privately held, also owns SoulCycle and Pure Yoga.
