Fitness Recruitment in Europe

The boutique fitness wave that transformed London and New York between 2015 and 2022 has arrived in continental Europe and it is arriving fast. The structural conditions that made boutique and premium fitness successful in major global cities are now firmly established across European capitals: rising affluence, a growing professional class with disposable income and health awareness, and a consumer appetite for experience-led, community-driven fitness that goes well beyond what a traditional gym offers.

For fitness operators expanding into or across Europe, the challenge is talent. Boutique and premium fitness management is a specific skill set, and the supply of experienced operators in many European markets has not yet caught up with the pace of growth. The right candidates are already in the market, working in fitness, living in the cities where these operators are building but finding them requires the kind of active, proactive sourcing that job boards simply cannot deliver.

Love Recruitment International entered the European market through our client relationships, operators who we already knew from the UK and Middle East were expanding into Europe and needed the same quality of talent here. Amsterdam is our most active European market, where we have established relationships with TrainMore, Urban Gym Group, and other leading operators. But our European footprint is growing.

LRI's European recruitment is led by Abhi Lakhina and Tom Trout from the UK. Both have built direct knowledge of the European operator landscape through years of client and candidate work understanding how each market operates, what operators in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Madrid actually need versus what they say they need, and where the right talent already exists within the region.

Our approach in Europe is proactive and local. We source and place candidates who are already working in, or already based in, the European markets we recruit for. That means finding the right person for a Dutch operator is not about looking elsewhere first. It is about knowing the European fitness talent pool well enough to identify the right candidate already in the market, already motivated, and already suited to the environment they will be working in. Where a specific senior profile genuinely does not exist within the region, we broaden the search but local knowledge and local sourcing is always the starting point.

The nuances matter and we understand them, Dutch directness, German process-focus, Spanish relationship culture. That cultural fluency runs through how we brief candidates, how we present them to clients, and how we manage the process on both sides.

Amsterdam — Our Most Active European Market

The most sophisticated boutique fitness market in continental Europe. A mature consumer base, scaling operators, and consistent demand for experienced management talent, particularly at General Manager, Regional Manager, and Head of Operations level. LRI has live client relationships and a track record of placements here.

The Netherlands Broadly

Amsterdam is the hub but the Dutch market extends to Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven. TrainMore and other operators are scaling nationally, creating multi-site management demand across the country.

Germany — Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt

The largest economy in Europe and a market where premium and boutique fitness is growing strongly from a lower base. Berlin is the most active city for boutique. Munich and Frankfurt have strong corporate wellness and premium club demand. International operators entering Germany are creating senior management requirements for experienced leaders who understand both boutique management and the German consumer context.

Spain — Madrid and Barcelona

One of the fastest-growing European fitness markets. Strong consumer appetite, significant international operator investment, and a growing middle class with disposable income and interest in premium wellness. Barcelona's boutique sector is particularly active, with strong yoga, Pilates, and functional training concepts.

Rest of Europe

We recruit across Europe more broadly as operator demand requires. If you are an operator expanding into a European market not listed above, or a fitness professional interested in a specific European city, it is worth a conversation, our European network is growing faster than any other region..

• General Manager — single site and flagship

• Regional Manager and Area Manager — multi-site operators scaling nationally

• Club Manager and Studio Manager

• Head of Operations and Country Manager

• Fitness Manager and Head of Fitness

• Master Trainer and Head Coach

• Freelance Coach and Instructor — boutique and hybrid studio concepts

• Sales Manager

• C-Suite and Director level — Country Manager, COO, Managing Director for European market entries

• A growing market at an exciting stage — boutique and premium fitness in Europe is building fast, creating genuine career opportunities for operators who want to be part of something growing

• Closer to home than the Middle East or Australia — a genuine international experience without the extreme distance, for candidates already in Europe or considering a continental move

• The 30% ruling in the Netherlands — a significant tax advantage for qualifying international workers in the first five years

• Strong quality of life — European cities consistently rank highly for lifestyle, culture, and work-life balance

• A market where boutique and premium management experience is a genuine differentiator — and where the right candidate already in the market can accelerate their career significantly