Key points:
- James Bidlake has been appointed as the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s new EDLC
- He will now join the club’s Board of Management, reporting directly to the CEO
- Bidlake has over 25 years of legal experience and much of his career has been spent in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced a new Executive Director of Legal and Compliance (EDLC), James Bidlake, who is set to join as the latest additional member of the club’s Board of Management.
Effective from the last week of February, Bidlake’s appointment comes alongside the announcement that his predecessor, Shella Ng, is set to leave the club as of 5 May 2025 – following the completion of her contract. Throughout his career, Bidlake has amassed 25 years of experience in legal and regulatory compliance across the Asian market, primarily in the city of Hong Kong, where he has held leadership positions with Citigroup’s Investment Banking Division and Simmons & Simmons. Additionally, Bidlake has also worked in senior positions at Morgan Stanley.
Now, he will move on from his most recent role as Group General Counsel and Executive Director of DFS Group to oversee the club’s legal and compliance division, where he will ensure the protection of the club’s branding and reputational rights. His responsibilities within his new position also see him act as the Company Secretary of the Club and will require him to report directly to Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.
This latest appointment announcement comes following the promotion of Michael Fitzsimons to Executive Director of Wagering Products in 2022. A year later, it was also announced that the club would be required to pay a Special Football Betting Duty tax of HK$2.4bn ($310m) annually until 2028.
Good to know: In September 2024, the club released its 2023/24 financial figures, highlighting a decline of 3.1% in annual racing turnover
In additional recent racing news, the Hong Kong Jockey Club a Executive Director of Racing Andrew Harding announced the development and release of “the ChatGPT version of horseracing” to introduce fans to a “digitally immersive” racing experience.
