The Jockey Club names new chief executive

Britain’s biggest commercial racecourse operator has appointed Nevin Truesdale as chief executive officer.

UK.- The Jockey Club has named Nevin Truesdale as chief executive effective from January 1. 

Truesdale, the operator’s current head of finance, has already been occupying the role on an interim basis after former CEO Delia Bushell stepped down in August due to allegations of bullying and racist remarks. 

He has already overseen a reorganisation at what is Britain’s biggest racetrack operator as part of its response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Truesdale joined the Jockey Club seven years ago as group finance director. He previously held the same role for British Gas’s residential energy division at Centrica. Prior to that he worked at AA and at Ernst & Young. 

A racehorse owner himself, he serves on the board of Jockey Club Racecourses, The National Stud, Jockey Club Catering, The Racecourse Association and Racecourse Media Group.

He said: “The Jockey Club is full of talented and hardworking women and men who are passionate about the future of British racing, whether they have come into the industry from a whole range of different sectors or had a career within the sport to date.

“I’d like to pay tribute to how our teams have handled the challenges of the pandemic and its impacts so far and I’m confident we will navigate this crisis and on to a very exciting future.

“Over the past few months I’ve enjoyed strengthening working relationships and making significant progress for the industry with our diverse range of stakeholders and commercial partners.

“Collaboration and strong relationships are so important to delivering success, as is listening to your customers, providing fantastic experiences for all and constantly embracing change and innovation. 

“We’ll be working hard to continue our success in these areas in the years to come.”

Jockey Club senior steward Sandy Dudgeon said: “The board is delighted to appoint Nevin as our group chief executive. He has demonstrated excellent leadership of the whole business over the last few months and first-class performance as a senior executive over several years. 

“He and his senior team have now completed a significant reorganisation programme designed to set The Jockey Club onto a firm footing for innovation, growth and sustainability for the future, and I wish him every success in the role.”