Great British Racing CEO to step down in April
After 14 years in the role, Rod Street will depart as the head of horseracing’s promotional and marketing body to focus on mentoring and coaching efforts
Great British Racing (GBR) CEO Rod Street is set to depart horseracing’s promotional and marketing arm by the end of April.
He will continue as the CEO of the British Champions Series Limited, a position he has held since its inception in 2011, until later in the year.
Street has served as GBR CEO since 2010 and has played a key role in promoting horseracing during his 14-year tenure.
He has been at the heart of some major innovations throughout his time at the helm, most notably the British Champions Series and Day and National Racehorse Week.
No successor has yet been named for the soon-to-be vacated position, at the time of writing.
Street said he intends to stay involved in horseracing, having already laid plans to launch a new venture coaching and mentoring the leaders of the future.
On his impending departure, the CEO said he was proud of the body’s achievements and remained positive for the sport’s future, including the inaugural Premier Racing concept which was launched this year.
Street said: “I am very proud of the achievements of the team at GBR. Racing is significantly better promoted now than it was 15 years ago.
“GBR has delivered large national campaigns on themes as diverse as equine welfare, under-18’s race free and Sports Personality of the Year. Such is the extent of GBR’s work that our name goes largely unnoticed, as it should do, because our job is to tell the stories – not be the story.”
He continued: “Looking to racing’s future, this is a time of both challenge and opportunity. It is encouraging that the sport has come together to address declines in revenue and engagement. Racing is not alone – most sports outside football face precisely the same challenge – and we are competing for customers’ attention in a fiercely competitive environment.
“The principle of leading with our best quality products through Premier Racing is the right one. I remain optimistic for the sport because we have history, heritage and a level of coverage that other sports would die for.”
Julie Harrington, British Horseracing Authority CEO, added: “Rod is an experienced, respected and much-loved individual in racing. Working in a multi-stakeholder environment is not easy and it is testament to Rod’s qualities that he has thrived in the role of CEO at Great British Racing for nearly 15 years.
“We are sincerely sorry to lose him but respect his decision and on behalf of racing’s stakeholders thank him for all he has done, including the energy and passion he has brought to every task.
“Rod has made a big difference to how racing is promoted compared to when he joined GBR in 2010. I’m sure we will continue to see lots more of him in the future,” she concluded.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.