Perth Racing has secured prominent racing administrator Simon Love as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr Love’s appointment follows an extensive international search.
He brings a wealth of racing, gaming and financial management experience to the demanding role and joins Perth Racing from the Victoria Racing Club (VRC). For the past four years Mr Love has lead the VRC’s corporate, finance and strategic executive management team following executive roles in the gaming and wagering industry with Crown Resorts and Tabcorp and in the finance sector with Macquarie and ANZ Bank.
In announcing the appointment Perth Racing Vice Chairman, Neil Pinner said Simon Love was the ideal person to manage the next stage of Perth Racing’s development.
“We are heading into a critical phase for the Club and Simon’s extensive knowledge and expertise in racing, wagering and asset management will be of significant value,” Mr Pinner said.
“A very strong executive team is already in place and Simon with his proven track record will come on board to complement the Club’s administration while overseeing stakeholder management and expansion of racing content supply to local and Asian markets”.
For Love who is a passionate racehorse owner and family man, the opportunity of relocating and heading up Perth Racing at such an exciting time was difficult to resist.
“I am looking forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders leading into a new, dynamic era for Western Australian thoroughbred racing,” Mr Love said.
“The refurbishment programme at Ascot Racecourse and the multi-million dollar redevelopment at Belmont Park are underway and Perth Racing is poised to become one of the great racing clubs in Australia and the region. I’m honoured to take on the CEO role and look forward to the opportunity that offers.”
BIO
SIMON LOVE – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PERTH RACING
Simon Love has been announced as the new Chief Executive Office of Perth Racing. He is currently the Executive General Manager – Corporate, Finance and Strategic Initiatives for the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), which is the world’s largest member-based thoroughbred racing club and home of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Simon has a diverse range of strategic and operational experience and expertise predominantly gained within the leisure and entertainment industry. This includes extensive work in strategic corporate business development including three major Australian M&A transactions, Star City (1999), Jupiters (2003) and Tab Limited (2004) and the post-merger integration of Jupiters and Tab Limited into the Tabcorp Holdings Group.
Previously CEO of Maxgaming in New South Wales (then a division of Tab Limited) Simon has also lead international greenfield and business turnaround projects with Tabcorp Holdings Limited and Crown Resorts. These included major casino/hotel development projects in Singapore, Philippines, United States, United Kingdom and Central Europe.
At the VRC he was charged with the delivery of a multi-million dollar technology transformation, government relations, procurement, management of the finance function plus execution of the VRC’s ongoing property masterplan for Flemington.
Darwyn Jolly, General Manager Commercial and Marketing
Perth Racing
