Having joined RMG in 2008, FitzGerald has overseen the media and data rights for all major racecourses in the UK and Ireland, including a decade of year-on-year increases in licence fees payable to its racecourse shareholders.  

Additionally, he pioneered initiatives such as the relaunch of Racing TV as a standalone channel, an exclusive domestic TV rights deal with ITV and the launch of Racing TV International for overseas operators, as well as the roll out of the Watch & Bet service – a new streaming service aimed at helping RMG generate increased turnover. 

FitzGerald said: “It has been a fabulous and rewarding 12 years working for RMG. The business has flourished and delivered on the vision of the founding shareholders around a collective approach to commercialising their media and data rights.

“There is never a good time to step down but with resumption of racing, the new Watch & Bet deals, the terrestrial TV renewal and launch in Italy of fixed odds, and a new cycle of renewals starting shortly, it seems the right time to step down.” 

FitzGerald was previously CEO of Premier League football club Aston Villa from 2006 to 2008, and worked at IMG for 18 years. 

Finance director Martin Stevenson will take over as acting CEO once FitzGerald has officially stepped down.