The Antipodean sports betting monopoly has tapped Tod to be its Chief Exec, who will “lead Tab NZ into the next exciting chapter of its history.”
Having held leadership roles at TVNZ, dairy co-op Fonterra and Air New Zealand, Tab NZ is keen to capitalise on his varied experience to drive growth.
Board Chair Mark Stewart touched on Tod’s experience and welcomed the veteran executive on board, saying: “The board and I are thrilled to welcome someone of Mike’s international experience to lead Tab NZ.
“He is a deeply customer-centric leader with extensive experience in key areas of focus for our organisation, including product and service innovation, marketing, brand and consumer engagement.
“His appointment and those areas of focus will allow us to drive further revenue growth for our racing and sporting stakeholders.”
Formerly the New Zealand Racing Board and the Racing Industry Transition Agency, Tab NZ is the current incarnation of New Zealand’s statutory monopoly for sports betting, including horseracing and greyhound racing.
According to its website, every dollar wagered with Tab is spent on grassroots racing and sports in New Zealand, with approximately NZ$170m (US$115.6m) returned each year.
“Tab NZ is an iconic organisation that is inextricably linked to New Zealand’s way of life,” remarked Tod.
“Now that the racing industry reforms are well advanced, this allows Tab NZ, as a commercial wagering operator, to focus on its objectives of maximising profits for the long-term benefit of racing in New Zealand, to maximise returns to New Zealand sporting organisations and to support our communities.”
