Episode 4 | Gerard Healy, Managing Director - Johnson Health Tech Australia

Welcome to the Sum of Many podcast. Um, great to have you again. Uh, this week we've got a very special guest, someone I've known for about 20 years, or it feels like 20 years. Uh, this guy has had experience as personal trainers, running a gym, app development in tech, running a large fitness company from a sales perspective, and now he's a CEO of one of the largest fitness equipment suppliers in the world. Uh, his name is Gerard Healy. Welcome, mate.

Hey, Pete. How are you? Good. Good intro. Yeah, great.

Cool, man. Um, mate, as I get started on these things, um, you've known me a long time, so we'll try to keep it appropriate as possible so I don't get blocked, but we'll crack some jokes in there and talk about maybe a little bit of personal stuff, but tell us a bit about yourself, mate. Not where you are now, but maybe a bit in the past and how you got to where you are now.

Yeah. Uh, it's funny, we always talk about what's our why. Um, I'm a helper. I love helping people. That's the core essence of what I do every day, whether it's in my personal life or work life professionally. I just love it. I've worked in the health and fitness industry for the best part of 20 years. Had some great experiences in various parts of the sector.

I've owned health clubs. I've worked for a franchisor for a gym chain. Australia right now running one of the largest fitness equipment businesses in Australia working with a lot of different brands which is super exciting and that's also a global business. So done some different things across the years but essentially been in the health and fitness industry.

Nice mate. When I first met you, we started off obviously with you on your beginning app. I always tell people that as one of the main reasons I started losing my hair at pace. It was very stressful. But during that time, the first thing I learned about you was you used to run a gym at Maidstone. Just want to talk a little bit about what you're doing back then and I guess you're pretty young too back then. What it was like to run a business at your age then, dealing with maybe shared ownership, recruitment, or just anything you want to share.

Yeah, absolutely. So started off in the health and fitness industry as a personal trainer out in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Moved to the CBD, started working for a gym on St Kilda Road. Bought some equity share into that gym and then through the course of one to two years had the opportunity to go into partnership in a larger site out in the western suburbs of Melbourne, out in Maidstone.

Set up a pre-sale at that gym with a business partner. Things didn't go to plan. We can talk about that a little bit later. But through those experiences ended up in partnership with some really great mentors and we were able to take that gym from a pre-sale that didn't go great to within two years building that facility up with over 3,000 members. We had over 25 personal trainers working that facility and we were running some really strong community six and eight-week body transformation challenges. We had some great outcomes not only for the individuals but for the trainers as well.

Some years later, sold shares out of that gym, went to work for the franchisor for Genesis Fitness. We were able to replicate those challenges and looked at how to enhance that to scale. Social media and mobile apps were starting to come into play around 2012 to 2014.

We had a great idea around building an app to drive those challenges and I think that's where our relationship started.

It is mate. What is it like to manage a gym and then manage a large group of PTs?

Yeah, it's funny. I think in many workplaces, the common trait when dealing with a large range of people is it's like a classroom. You have your A-grade performers, and those that muck around. It's about managing personalities and having strong screening processes to ensure people align with your values.

And your view on personal training now?

Massively changed. Years ago, the RTO sector had huge government funding. You saw ads everywhere pushing people to become PTs in 12 weeks. That drove massive growth. Now it's been largely superseded by group training models. A lot of those PTs have migrated into group training environments.

When you exited, talk about co-owning a business at that scale.

Yeah, I went in a bit blind. Took all my money, borrowed from my parents, invested in a gym. You don’t fully understand business in your 20s. I had a partnership that didn’t work out. But I had great mentors who guided me.

One thing that stuck with me: would you rather own 100% of something that makes nothing, or 20% of something that makes over a million a year? That shaped a lot of my thinking.

That’s awesome. You’ve always been a good problem solver. So when you moved into Genesis and then into tech with the app, talk about your mindset.

I’ve always thought very macro. Start with the ideal outcome, then work backwards. We looked at consumers, trainers, franchisees, and the franchisor—how do we create value at each level? It’s about alignment across all layers.

Where does that drive come from?

Probably from early work experiences. I worked at a butcher shop at 15. Early mornings, tough environment, strong work ethic. That mentality stuck—just get the job done.

Then moving into corporate life at Genesis—what was that like?

Very different. From a high-energy gym to an office environment. But it gave me perspective on systems, processes, and what it takes behind the scenes to deliver results.

Do you think people need franchise experience before working at head office?

Not required, but it helps. That said, people from outside can bring fresh perspectives. A mix is important.

What were highlights from Genesis?

Amazing experiences, learning business, working with great people, developing systems and processes that are still in use today.

Then moving to Matrix Fitness?

Yeah, moved there as Head of Sales. It was a different vertical of the industry. Great learning experience, especially through COVID. Then returned to Belgravia before eventually coming back to lead Matrix.

Project management in that role?

Nothing ever goes to plan. Experience is key. My time at Matrix initially helped a lot with systems and processes when I returned.

Advice for new franchisees?

What you do in year one dictates the next nine. Manage your money well. Pre-sales are critical. And follow the system—franchises succeed because of proven processes.

What are you seeing globally in the fitness industry?

It’s growing fast. People are investing more in health and wellness than ever. The way they engage is evolving, but the industry isn’t slowing down.

What about younger generations and connection?

Gyms are becoming the new social hubs. Like nightclubs in the past. Group training especially is driven by community.

Why did group fitness boom faster in Australia?

Community culture. Australians connect strongly with that environment.

Tell us about your current role.

I’m Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at a global company. It started 50 years ago by Peter Lo in Taiwan. From humble beginnings building light globes to now being the largest commercial fitness equipment supplier globally.

The company is vertically integrated—we manufacture our own parts, which gives us control over quality, speed, and customization.

What did you focus on coming into the role?

Customer experience. Understanding what happens at ground level and solving problems quickly. We’ve scaled our service teams, invested in tech, improved logistics, and reduced downtime for customers.

Your approach to sales?

Do what you say you’ll do. It’s a small industry—reputation matters. Actions over words.

How competitive is the space?

Very competitive, but there’s growth across many sectors—gyms, hotels, apartments, schools, hospitals.

Plans for 2026?

Consistency is key. Focus on scaling while maintaining quality. Internally, investing in people, training, and development.

Balancing work and family?

It’s a juggle. My daughter’s been part of the whole journey. It’s about making time count when you have it.

Do you enjoy conferences?

Love them. Meeting people, learning, understanding different leadership styles.

Anything coming up?

Always conferences—HFA Expo in San Diego, FIBO in Germany. Some exciting product launches coming too.

Very nice, mate. Thanks for stopping by. Great chat.

Thanks, Pete. Catch up soon.

This transcript was generated using AI and may contain minor errors or inaccuracies.