Dave Letele says family targeted after taking over NZ Muscle as he fights to rebuild company and save jobs

Dave Letele says he and his family have been subjected to death threats and online abuse after he stepped in as the new chief executive of struggling supplement company NZ Muscle.

The former boxer and founder of community organisation Buttabean Motivation took on the role this week, along with a shareholding in the business, after founder Dion Roosenbrand announced he would step back while the company works through regulatory concerns.

Letele says his decision to take over was driven by a desire to help rebuild the company, protect its workers and restore customer trust.

The 46-year-old was preparing to meet with NZ Muscle staff, with 35 jobs potentially at risk as the company deals with falling sales following concerns around its products and business practices.

"It's 35 people who could potentially be without a job if this continued. I wanted to give it my best shot of trying to turn it around," Letele said.

He said his first priority was understanding what had happened and meeting with staff, suppliers, manufacturers and customers.

"So I can see it for myself. We can begin to fix it meeting with suppliers, manufacturers and also talking to customers and different store owners, that's where it starts. Trying to rebuild that from the ground up, really."

The company came under scrutiny after a former employee posted a YouTube video raising concerns about product practices. NZ Muscle later confirmed an internal review found some products had been packed in non-compliant packaging, while two protein products had been relabelled inappropriately.

Some products were removed from sale, and investigations by New Zealand Food Safety and the Commerce Commission are underway.

Letele said he could not comment on the investigations but wanted to understand the situation beyond what people were seeing online.

"Everyone's only seeing what's happening online. I want to see what's actually happening. That's the only way I can understand it and then begin to fix it. Obviously there's been mistakes and that's why I'm there."

However, since his appointment was announced, Letele says he has faced a wave of online backlash, including threats against him and his family.

In a post shared on his Buttabean Motivation page, Letele asked people to “please settle down”, saying the situation had gone too far.

“My home address has now been posted,” he said.

“The hate and the threats to me and my family have just gone too far.”

Letele said he understands why customers are demanding answers, but believes the online abuse has crossed a line.

“People want answers, which I fully understand. But I need time to find out what’s actually happened.”

He said the attacks had affected his family, including his wife and youngest son.

“Seeing my wife in tears and my youngest son scared breaks my heart.”

Despite the pressure, Letele says he remains committed to turning the company around.

“I’ve entered this with my eyes wide open. I’ve taken on a company that has f***ed up and it’s my job to come fix it and make it better than before.”

Letele said he had known NZ Muscle founder Dion Roosenbrand for several years and had previously used the company’s products through his own business.

“I had a coffee shop which also sold supplements and he was one of our suppliers so I've known him for a bit.”

Roosenbrand has apologised to customers and acknowledged the company needed improvements.

"We're working with regulatory bodies on these matters. I'm truly sorry to our customers, staff, partners and suppliers who have all been affected by this."

While some customers have questioned whether Letele’s appointment is enough to address the company’s issues, he says his focus is on finding out what went wrong and making changes.

Despite the backlash, he says he will not walk away.

“I’m at a loss, but I won’t quit. Day 2 of the rebuild begins today.”