Fred Turok, founder and chair of LA Fitness, has been unanimously elected chair of the Fitness Industry Association (FIA).

Turok will replace current chair, Harm Tegelaars, in September 2007 when Tegelaars leaves to take up the role of president of the European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA).

Turok, who has been a vice-chair of the organisation for more than a year, has nearly 30 years experience of the health and fitness sector.

Turok said: “The next three to five years are critical to the success of our industry."

"The team has made huge strides in raising the industry's profile at Westminster and securing crucial funding for our activity based programming.

"But our challenge is to accelerate this funding stream and make sure we are seen to be a vital part of the Government's 2012 legacy planning strategy.

"We must make FIA members so critical to all consumers' health and wellbeing aspirations and plans, that they never shop anywhere else."