The Ironman Group has appointed Scott DeRue as its new Chief Executive. DeRue joins from the gym chain Equinox, where he served as President and led a global lifestyle brand and a health & wellness business that included 107 fitness clubs. He succeeds Andrew Messick, who announced his departure from Ironman in July 2023 after 12 years in the role.
Messick will remain a stakeholder and member of the Board of Directors alongside DeRue and others.
DeRue is a business professor who has conquered Mount Everest, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro and other summits and competes in ultra-runs, most recently completing the 250 km Gobi March Ultramarathon in Mongolia in 2023.
He faces high expectations in his new position, as Messick successfully positioned Ironman as the world’s largest organizer of mass participation sports events. Under Messick’s leadership, the company expanded its original portfolio of triathlons to include events such as road running, trail running, road cycling, mountain biking and digital platforms.
Ironman hosts competitions in 50 countries and attracts over 1 million participating athletes annually.
