The appointment signals a shift in how fibodo plans to expand its booking and payment platform, focusing less on traditional software sales and more on empowering coaches and operators already working at the heart of the sector.

fibodo says independent coaches and fitness operators are increasingly struggling with fragmented systems for bookings, payments and client management, while rising costs and growing admin demands continue to eat into earnings. The company believes the answer lies not in selling more software, but in building technology around the people delivering the experience.

Cross brings more than two decades of experience in the fitness industry and is widely recognised as a respected operator, educator and consultant. Alongside his leadership roles at Les Mills and PureGym, he has built a strong reputation as a content creator and trusted voice among coaches across the UK.

In his new role, Cross will lead fibodo’s education and adoption strategy, overseeing workshops, webinars, live events and podcasts designed to help coaches integrate the platform into their businesses. He will also support the launch of a founding cohort of trainers actively using fibodo’s booking and payment systems, with the aim of creating authentic advocates through real-world use rather than traditional brand promotion.

Jake Shand, executive director at fibodo, said the company wanted someone with genuine credibility inside the industry.

'This isn’t about selling software,' he said. 'Dave knows what coaches need because he’s been there. He’s credible, respected and genuinely cares about the people in our industry. He’ll help great coaches build proper businesses, and he’ll hold us accountable to deliver technology that makes that possible.'

Rather than relying on top-down sales strategies, fibodo is adopting a coach-led approach to drive long-term growth. The company believes that leading with education, trust and practical use cases will create stronger engagement and more sustainable momentum across the sector.

Over the coming months, Cross is expected to roll out fibodo’s coaching ecosystem nationally, helping trainers generate revenue more quickly through integrated bookings and payments while feeding real-world feedback into future product development.

fibodo describes itself as 'the operating system for the experience economy', providing booking, payments, scheduling, staff management and business growth tools for everyone from solo coaches to multi-site operators.