Group CEO of one of the UK’s leading sports and hospitality businesses with extensive financial, strategy and commercial background. Formerly Group CFO. Extensive experience in people and business leadership, setting clear and long term direction and managing challenging stakeholder environments. Have assembled a very strong leadership team and built real depth of capability and new culture across all functions of the JC. Previously worked in consumer facing industries in energy and roadside assistance. I am a Non Executive Director, Sport United Against Dementia.
The Jockey Club is one of the UK’s leading sports and hospitality businesses. It is the biggest employer in British Horseracing and is a multi-venue leisure/media/digital rights-based business operating 15 racecourses and responsible for the Cheltenham Festival, The Randox Grand National and The Derby, 3 of the UK’s largest and high profile sports events. It has commercial interests in training grounds, betting, hotels, property, live music, catering and horse breeding as well as a charity, Racing Welfare. Development of the property portfolio is a key strategic aim. The business has turnover of c.£200m and delivers an EBITDA of c.£20m after contributing £28m to prize money and investing c.£12m in capex projects in 2022.
One of the largest sports businesses operating in the uk today (2019 turnover: 216.5 million), the jockey club is at the heart of so many aspects of britains second-biggest spectator sport. We run 15 of the uks leading racecourses large and local, where were charged with looking after some of the nations biggest events, including the randox health grand national at aintree, the festival presented by magners at cheltenham, the derby festival at epsom downs and the qipco guineas festival in newmarket.
We welcome thousands of racehorses a year to our training centres in newmarket, lambourn and epsom. We run the national stud in newmarket and our charity, racing welfare, makes help available to all of racings people. We are governed by royal charter to act for the long-term benefit of british racing and our patron is His Majesty the King
At The Jockey Club, our primary aim is to continually advance the welfare of British racing over the long term. As a Royal Charter entity, we operate without shareholders and channel all profits back into the sport of horseracing, reinforcing our commitment to its sustained growth and prosperity.
We envision a vibrant and flourishing British horseracing sector that caters to all enthusiasts. Our strategic focus revolves around empowering our workforce, investing in racing infrastructure, engaging our fan base, and broadening our reach to new audiences, all while ensuring a sustainable future.
At the heart of our organization lie our mission, vision, and strategic direction, all grounded in our core values. These values shape our daily actions, defining the ethos of our business, fostering collaboration, and fostering a welcoming environment for all.
Together as one cohesive unit, we uplift and support each other’s endeavors, fostering a culture of mutual success.
We approach our work with fervor and pride, embracing innovation while upholding our rich heritage and traditions.
We strive to create enriching experiences and foster meaningful connections within our team and broader community, championing diversity and inclusion at every opportunity.