Chana, Ex-Gymshark Exec, Named New Adanola CEO

In 2024, Manchester-based athleisure brand Adanola appointed Niran Chana, the former chief commercial officer of Gymshark, as its chief executive, with the role starting in June 2024. Founder Hyrum Cook moved from CEO to focus on brand, product and community. The appointment was designed to strengthen Adanola's operations as it scaled, after a period of rapid growth driven by its Ultimate Leggings, logo sweatshirts and social-first marketing. The details below draw on Adanola's interview with Vogue Business at the time.

Who is Niran Chana?

Niran Chana spent around eight years at Gymshark, latterly as chief commercial officer, during the period when it grew into one of the UK's best-known sportswear brands. Cook told Vogue Business that Chana had "been there, done that", and that his experience of a founder-led business scaling quickly made him the right fit. Gymshark founder Ben Francis had himself stepped back from the CEO role during a key growth phase.

How Adanola grew

Hyrum Cook founded Adanola in 2015 with his brother Josh, but the early years were hard. After the brothers' visions diverged, Cook told Vogue Business he went through several difficult years and almost closed the business. The turning point came during the 2020 lockdowns, when he launched the Ultimate Leggings at around £40. They caught on quickly through social media and remain the brand's best-seller.

According to Vogue Business, Adanola's sales grew by more than 300% between 2022 and 2023, reaching eight figures, and the brand sold large volumes of its logo sweatshirts, which proved more popular than unbranded styles. Its look tapped into the "clean girl" aesthetic popular on TikTok, and it became a common sight in places like London's Sloane Square.

What set Adanola apart

• Accessible premium pricing: positioned as premium athleisure but priced below rivals such as Lululemon and Sweaty Betty, with Cook arguing quality doesn't require £100 leggings.
• A lifestyle, not just a workout: clothes designed for the gym and the brunch afterwards, reflecting younger customers prioritising wellness.
• Confident branding: logo pieces became status items while subtle branding dominated elsewhere.
• Selective wholesale: stocked at Selfridges, Harrods and Ounass for awareness, while turning down many retail requests.

Social media's role

Cook credited social media as the main driver of Adanola's growth. The brand combines paid marketing with an aspirational Instagram feed, creator partnerships and customer content showing how real people style the pieces. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley reached out after discovering the brand, which led to a 2023 collaboration that boosted its profile further.

Chana's priorities

Chana told Vogue Business his focus would be investing in operations and the digital customer experience, particularly coping with surges in demand, as he had done early on at Gymshark. He also pointed to growth in the US and new categories such as outerwear and swimwear.

Lessons for growing brands

• Bring in scale experience at the right time: a founder can stay focused on brand and product while an experienced operator builds the foundations.
• One hero product can transform a brand: the Ultimate Leggings gave Adanola its breakthrough.
• Mix aspiration and authenticity: paid content, creators and customer content work best together.
• Use wholesale for credibility, not volume: selective stockists build status.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the CEO of Adanola?

Niran Chana, former chief commercial officer at Gymshark, was appointed Adanola's CEO in 2024, with founder Hyrum Cook focusing on brand, product and community.

Who founded Adanola?

Adanola was founded in Manchester in 2015 by Hyrum Cook, initially with his brother Josh.

What is Adanola best known for?

Its Ultimate Leggings, launched in 2020, and its logo sweatshirts.

For more on building a social-first brand, talk to our social media team.