Nevin Truesdale to step down as Jockey Club CEO at the end of 2024
While head of horseracing body, Truesdale oversaw growth in multiple revenue lines amid fight against affordability checks in recent years
Nevin Truesdale will step down as Jockey Club CEO at the end of the year after confirming he would bring an end his 11-year stay at the horseracing body.
Truesdale first joined the Jockey Club as group finance director in August 2013, his first role in the industry after nearly five years with British Gas.
After a month, Truesdale was promoted to chief financial officer before stepping up into the CEO role in August 2020.
As CEO, Trusedale has led the firm to growth across all revenue lines, increased its customer base and digital platforms as well as investing millions into horse welfare.
Other highlights, according to the Jockey Club, include an 18% increase in media rights revenue, while prize money contributions exceeded the £30m mark.
Truesdale has also been vocal against affordability checks, starting a petition which led to a debate in parliament in February.
However, he has since asked the board of stewards to find a successor and begin that transition process to “give new leadership the strategic options to build on this success and take the organisation on to the next phase of its development”.
Sandy Dudgeon, Jockey Club senior steward, praised Truesdale’s work throughout the pandemic and said he will leave business and horseracing in a better place than when he first arrived.
Dudgeon said: “Over the last decade Nevin has made an outstanding contribution to The Jockey Club and horseracing, not just in his time as CEO but also as chief financial officer before that.
“Nevin took over the role of chief executive at an extremely challenging and unprecedented time both for the business and the whole racing industry and steered us successfully out of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis.
“He has also overseen a period of significant business transformation and improvement, as well as the building of a very strong team, for which the board of stewards and I are immensely grateful.
“He will leave our business and sport in a better place thanks to his leadership, with a new long-term plan to strengthen and grow our business and sport.
Truesdale said the horseracing body has the foundations to be successful once he departs and that he will continue to deliver on the firm’s priorities.
Taking to LinkedIn, he said now is the correct time to walk away as he looks to seek a new challenge in the sport or leisure industry.
He said: “After almost 11 very happy and highly fulfilling years at The Jockey Club I have asked the board to start the recruitment process for my successor as CEO. I anticipate that I’ll step down at the end of 2024.
“Reflection and evaluation is incredibly important to me and, in recent months, mine has told me that the time is now right for me to seek a new challenge in another business, ideally in sport or leisure, and for the Jockey club to transition to a new leader.
“Having chartered our way through a hugely uncertain economic and political chapter, we now have a long-term strategy to guide our organisation so it can fulfil its vision of creating a thriving sport for the benefit of all,” he added.
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