Ex-Ladbrokes boss Jim Mullen named Group Chief Executive of The Jockey Club

The Jockey Club has appointed Jim Mullen as its new Group Chief Executive, effective June 1.

Mullen joins The Jockey Club from Reach plc, the UK and Ireland’s largest commercial news publisher, where he has served as Chief Executive since 2019.

Prior to this, he led Ladbrokes Coral Group plc as Group Chief Executive between March 2015 and March 2018, having previously been Managing Director of Ladbrokes Digital and Chief Operating Officer of William Hill Online.

He has also held other senior roles in the digital and media sectors, including Digital Strategy Director and Director of Product Management at News International and Director of Digital at Publicis Group.

At The Jockey Club, Mullen succeeds Charlie Boss, who has served as Interim CEO since December 2024 following Nevin Truesdale’s departure. Boss will stay on until July to support the transition.

Mullen also serves as a non-executive board member of Racecourse Media Group, which oversees media rights for 61 racecourses across Britain and Ireland.

 “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," Mullen said.

Baroness Dido Harding, Senior Steward of The Jockey Club, welcomed Mullen’s appointment, highlighting his leadership credentials: “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 fanbase.”

The Jockey Club, founded in 1750, runs major racing events including the Cheltenham Festival, the Randox Grand National at Aintree, and the Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs. The organisation also operates key training centres, The National Stud, and the Racing Welfare charity.