Conor Grant to take the reins at RMG

Conor Grant has been named as the new chair of Racecourse Media Group.

Grant will replace current chair Roger Lewis on 1 October, initially joining as a non-executive director on 1 April. Grant, who is a racehorse owner, has 24 years’ experience in the gambling industry, with 14 of those in senior executive roles. He was most recently CEO of Flutter UK & Ireland for over two-and-a-half years, which includes brands Sky Bet, Paddy Power, tombola and Betfair and, prior to that, was chief operating officer of Sky Betting & Gaming for almost two years - capping off over ten years with the company in total. 

Outgoing chairman Lewis originally joined the board in 2012, before becoming non-executive independent chair in 2019. He had been due to leave the position in 2022, but stayed on to ease the transition to a new chair.

Racecourse Media Group is an umbrella organisation for 35 shareholer racecourses, and runs Racing TV as well as commercialises its racecourse’s media rights in the UK - with the help of agency HBA Media. Racing TV also includes coverage from all 26 Irish racecourses and Chelmsford City.

Grant said: “I am delighted to be joining Racecourse Media Group at such an exciting time for the business and the broader racing industry. RMG has delivered outstanding results for its shareholders in recent years and I would like to pay tribute to Roger who has done a fantastic job, along with CEO Martin Stevenson, in growing and developing the business. I look forward to working with the RMG team and continuing to deliver for all of our racecourses”

Nevin Truesdale, CEO of The Jockey Club and non-executive director on the RMG Board, added: “I am delighted to welcome Conor to the RMG Board and to be working with him as we further develop the business for the benefit of its shareholder racecourses. Conor brings significant and in-depth expertise to the industry, acquired over a long period of time, and this will help shape our strategies and address the challenges we are facing.”

Adam Waterworth, MD of events at the Goodwood Estate and non-executive director on the RMG Board, commented: “Conor brings a wealth of experience to the role, particularly through his senior roles at Sky Betting & Gaming, and then Flutter. He is perfectly positioned to take RMG forward and help build and strengthen our relationships across the industry.”

Lewis said: “It is a tribute to the team at RMG that we have secured Conor as our next Chair and we all welcome Conor’s appointment. I am confident that Conor will take RMG to even greater heights in the years to come. On behalf of the RMG Board, I would also like to thank Andy Anson, who has been a much-valued friend and colleague of us all for the past six years, chairing our Audit committee with great skill and commitment.

“RMG is in great shape. We are about to announce record results for the past year and I congratulate the executive team at RMG for consistently delivering the best possible returns for our racecourses and the sport of horseracing.”

Truesdale added: “I would like to pay tribute to Roger Lewis for a very effective and successful stewardship of RMG, a business which is of fundamental importance to the financial performance of racecourses and therefore to the whole sport of horseracing. On behalf of everyone at the Jockey Club, I would like to thank Roger for all he has done for the business.”