Key points:
- Jim Mullen is set to step in as The Jockey Club’s new CEO
- Mullen is set to take over the role on 1 June 2025
- He brings a wealth of executive experience within the gambling industry, alongside previous Chief Executive role experience
The Jockey Club has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive, Jim Mullen, who is set to move on from his current CEO role at commercial UK & Ireland news publication, Reach.
Mullen is set to step into his new role on 1 June, taking over from Interim CEO Charlie Boss and moving on from Reach, the publishing brand that operates the Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Express and Daily Record. Indeed, as per this latest development, The Jockey Club has seemingly found a permanent replacement for its previous CEO Nevin Truesdale, who stepped down in the new year following 11 years in the role.
A highly experienced executive, Mullen has gained a wealth of C-Level executive experience in the gambling industry throughout his career, following a three-year stint as Group Chief Executive of Ladbrokes Coral Group, Managing Director of Ladbrokes Digital and COO of William Hill Online. As part of his new role, he will oversee all of The Jockey Club’s ongoing operations.
Speaking on his appointment, Jim Mullen said: “While The Jockey Club will be known to many as one of the most prestigious and established organisations in British sport, it is also a forward-thinking and exciting business with its focus firmly on the future. As a lifelong horseracing fan who has spent some of the best days of my life on racecourses, I could not be more proud to join The Jockey Club’s passionate and dedicated team through what I hope will be an exciting new chapter.
“Publishing and horseracing might appear to be two very different industries on the surface. However, they share a focus on providing value and quality for the customer while nurturing happy and motivated teams across multiple sites and I am passionate about delivering both. I would like to thank all my colleagues at Reach for their hard work and all that has been achieved together over the past six years. I now look forward to forging new relationships in horseracing and renewing others developed during my time in the gambling industry.”
Good to know: In November 2023, previous Jockey Club CEO Nevin Truesdale launched a petition against affordability checks
More recently, Virgin Bet extended its pre-existing partnership with The Jockey Club in October 2024, following the announcement of changes ahead of Cheltenham Festival 2025.
Also commenting on Mullen’s appointment, The Jockey Club’s Senior Steward, Baroness Dido Harding, said: “I am delighted to welcome a leader of Jim’s calibre and experience as our next Group Chief Executive. He has a long and distinguished track record of delivering strong growth in the publishing and gambling sectors and is also familiar with the complexities of the British racing industry, its structure and challenges, as well as the very many opportunities we have to broaden our fan base. Jim will bring with him a wealth of experience and expertise, while also being a racing fan at heart who is passionate about promoting the sport and the incredible experiences we are able to offer our customers.”
