Our Executive

Jim took up his role as Group Chief Executive on June 1st 2025, having joined from Reach plc, the largest commercial news publisher in the UK and Ireland, where he had been Chief Executive since 2019.

A horseracing fan and racehorse owner, Jim was Group Chief Executive of Ladbrokes Coral Group plc between March 2015 and March 2018, having previously been Managing Director of Ladbrokes Digital and Chief Operating Officer of William Hill Online. Prior to that he was Digital Strategy Director and Director of Product Management at News International and Director of Digital at Publicis Group.

Richard leads The Jockey Club’s Racing Department, responsible for fixture planning, race programme development and maximising commercial returns to reinvest into British Racing.

He was promoted to the role of Group Racing Director in 2010 having previously been Group Racing Manager. He joined The Jockey Club in 2003 having completed the British Horseracing Authority Graduate Development Programme.

Richard represents The Jockey Club on the BHA Fixture and Funding group, HBLB Betting Liaison Group and sits on the BHA Jump Pattern Committee. He also plays a key role on The Jockey Club’s Welfare Strategy Group.

Donal McCabe joined The Jockey Club on 13th October 2025. A distinguished leader in communications and corporate affairs, Donal is widely recognised for his expertise in reputation management and strategic corporate leadership.

He served as Director of Corporate Communications at Ladbrokes from 2013 to 2018, before being appointed Communications Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace from 2019 to 2022. In recognition of his exceptional service, he was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

Earlier in his career, Donal held senior executive roles, including Director of Corporate Affairs at Railtrack, Director of Corporate Communications at Alliance Boots, and Director of Corporate Communications at Land Securities, the UK’s largest commercial property development and investment company.

A lifelong racing fan, Donal brings to The Jockey Club a rare blend of industry insight, strategic vision, and his proven experience in shaping communications and reputation at the highest level.

Stuart is responsible for all aspects of financial strategy, management reporting, risk management and control, IT and Property at The Jockey Club.

He leads the Finance team, which incorporates accounting & reporting, tax, payroll, the shared finance centre and Jockey Club Services. He joined in 2015 as Group Financial Controller.

Previously he was Group Financial Controller at BPP Professional Education having also worked at Alfred McAlpine plc and EY (Ernst & Young).

Stuart represents The Jockey Club on the Boards of Jockey Club Live, Jockey Club Catering and the Employee Pension Scheme.

Guy Lavender joined The Jockey Club as CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse on January 1st, 2025 having previously been CEO and secretary of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) since 2017.

Before taking up his previous position at the MCC, Guy was the London 2012 Director for the South West of England and Managing Director of Wave Hub, a £42m renewable energy project in Cornwall. He subsequently returned to sport as the Chief Executive of Somerset County Cricket Club, where he enjoyed a six-year tenure.

In addition, he is a lifelong racing enthusiast and since 2022 has been a Committee Member at Exeter Racecourse, which is also part of The Jockey Club family.

Rob Painter joined The Jockey Club on January 12th 2026. A results and insights-driven marketeer, he enjoyed a successful career at NewsUK as Customer Insight Director and Marketing Director of The Times, Sunday Times and The Sun. As Managing Director of Brand and People he played a pivotal role in helping Sky Bet to become the UK's most popular online betting brand. Rob then founded Highstone Clarity Ltd, consulting for several high-profile brands, providing marketing leadership for evoke, Fortuna, Oddschecker and The Tote.

Rob is passionate about helping to create a commercially powerful workplace culture at The Jockey Club. He has followed horseracing since he was young and has experience in racehorse ownership.

Nick Patton is Managing Director of Jockey Club Estates based in Newmarket. Jockey Club Estates is the estate management arm of The Jockey Club group. The company manages a substantial and diverse property portfolio, providing first-class racehorse training facilities as well as hospitality in the historic Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket. Jockey Club Estates is responsible for the management and maintenance of facilities at two major racehorse training centres: Newmarket and Lambourn. Over 4,000 acres of gallops, with 3,500 horses using the facilities daily.

The Jockey Club Rooms, home to The Jockey Club for 270 years, is the jewel in the crown of the company’s portfolio of over 90 properties. The Rooms offer bespoke hosting and dining opportunities to both private and corporate customers. Nick is also a trustee of the Newmarket Charitable Foundation which aims to facilitate and create opportunities to drive transformation benefits of everyone who lives in Newmarket, trustee of the Newmarket Housing Trust which aims to provide racing industry housing and the Beaufort Cottage Educational Trust which supports educational projects and events for all those involved in the care of horses.

Nick joined Jockey Club Estates as Training Grounds Manager in 2010, taking over as Managing Director in 2017.  Previously Nick was Clerk of the Course at Market Rasen and Nottingham Racecourses (Jockey Club Racecourses) for 6 years. Nick has a degree in Rural Estates Management from Royal Agricultural University. Nick originates from Ireland and was educated in Dublin at St Columba’s College.  

Nadia Powell is the Interim Chief Executive of Jockey Club Racecourses, bringing a strong background in operations and performance. She has been with The Jockey Club for over 18 years and offers extensive leadership experience, having worked across the Racing Department, served as a General Manager, and held a range of commercial roles at smaller courses. More recently, Nadia was Director of Small Courses and Industry Relations.

With a family background in horseracing, she is deeply passionate about the sport and committed to ensuring its long-term sustainability and future success.

Anna Kerr has worked in a variety of racing and bloodstock roles across the globe including at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Goodwood Racecourse and Paul Moroney Bloodstock. She joined The National Stud in 2020 to help drive the development of their education programme and marketing. Anna was appointed as CEO in 2022 and is focussed on delivering the strategy for the stud in its mission to support the long-term sustainability of the British Thoroughbred.