CHAIRMAN
Julian Taylor
Julian worked for nearly 40 years in the international insurance industry spent primarily at Miller Insurance Services becoming a Senior Partner and serving as a main board director before retiring in 2018 after the business was sold. He retired as a non executive board member at Weatherbys Hamilton in 2024.
After joining the Huntingdon Racecourse Committee in 2018, Julian became Chairman there in 2019 until joining the Aintree Committee in 2023 and being appointed Chairman in 2024.
Julian has been a passionate follower of racing since childhood and rode in races as an amateur both in point to points and under rules. He has owned racehorses under jumps and flat codes for many years.
Chris Proudman
Chris is Professor of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Surrey, an academic veterinary surgeon with teaching, clinical and research expertise. For many years he provided veterinary services to several racecourses in Northwest England including Aintree. In 2013 he moved from the Northwest to the University of Surrey to lead the development of a new and innovative school of veterinary medicine.
During a 35-year research career, he has made important contributions to the enhancement of equine intestinal health and to the prevention of athletic injury in racehorses. Amongst other advisory roles, he has served on the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s Veterinary Advisory Committee (2013 – 2022) and has been Veterinary Advisor to Aintree Racecourse since 2012.
Kevin Byram
Kevin Byram has a long association with Aintree. As a partner of Brunswick, he advised the racecourse on communications strategy and when he retired from the firm joined the Aintree Committee. His interest in jump racing was sparked by the astonishing feats of Arkle in the 1960s.
He owns a horse, Braganza Bay in training with Henry Daly and is manager of the Aintree syndicate which owns Gustoso. This is perhaps the only time he will get the opportunity of mentioning Braganza Bay and Gustoso in the same text as Arkle, lovely and thrilling as both horses are.
Vicky Gosling
Vicky began her career in the RAF, where she served for 21 years culminating with the prestigious rank of Group Captain. During her time in the forces, she served on numerous deployments around the world and was the Base Support Commander for a Helicopter Base of 2000 personnel in Oxfordshire.
In 2013 she took on the role of Military Executive Lead for the first Invictus Games (London 2014), inspiring 14 nations and over 400 athletes to compete, and was subsequently appointed CEO of the second Invictus Games (Orlando 2016).
Vicky is currently Chief Executive of GB Snowsport, Chair of GB Surfing and Custodian of the Rugby Centurions. She also sits on the British Olympic Association Board, where she has been nominated to be Urban Sports Advisor.
Away from sport, Vicky was a Director at Sage Global, and was pivotal to establishing their Foundation for tech entrepreneurs. She has also held Board Director roles for a Fintech and Responsible Finance who work to increase access to fair finance for all.
Victoria was appointed as an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2004 following her deployment on Operations and for her commitment to RAF Waddington, and she was also subsequently appointed as an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2014 for her commitment to RAF Benson and to adaptive sports.
Penelope Mounsey-Heysham
Penelope Mounsey-Heysham rode as an amateur in point to points and hunter chases for several years. She then trained point to pointers for a spell which her 4 children rode with retired horses supplied by her generous brother Nigel Twiston Davies. She was Chairman of Carlisle Racecourse for 6 years and on the Committee for 9. She is a non Executive Director of Cartmel Racecourse.
Jonathan Bamber
Jonathan is Chief Legal Officer at Liverpool Football Club. He has worked at the Club since 2010 (and supported them since birth). He attended the University of Liverpool where he studied Law before completing the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Chester. He has been qualified as a Solicitor since 2006. He joined the Committee in June 2022 - a role which allows him to combine his professional expertise and sports experience with his love of racing and passion for his home city of Liverpool.
Thomas Greenall
Thomas was born in the North West and from an early age became captivated by Aintree. His childhood ambition was to win the Grand National, and whilst he never achieved this feat, he won the 2009 Fox Hunters’ Chase on Trust Fund and competed in both the 2005 and 2007 running of the Randox Grand National.
Thomas’s professional career is within the hospitality industry. He is currently chief executive of the UK’s largest independent hotel management group, Bespoke Hotels. He also has various Non-Executive Directorships which include the Pony Racing Authority and Randalls Jersey, the largest pub company on the island.
Euan McAlpine
Euan grew up in the North West and survived an upbringing with ponies & horses. His family have been closely involved in horse racing and racecourses in the area.
He has spent a career in construction, property, building materials and finance. He now lives in North Wales.
Clarissa Daly
Clarissa joined the Aintree Committee in 2016. Clarissa was Chief Executive of the Pony Racing Authority for 11 years and enjoys seeing the young jockeys developing their skills and shining amongst both the amateur and professional ranks. During her time at the PRA she helped develop Pony Racing Academies for children who don’t own their own pony, giving them the chance to experience pony racing. Over 400 children have since benefitted from these schemes with over 40 of them either race riding or working in the racing industry.
Clarissa is married to National Hunt Trainer Henry Daly.
Thomas Greenall
Thomas was born in the North West and from an early age became captivated by Aintree. His childhood ambition was to win the Grand National, and whilst he never achieved this feat, he won the 2009 Fox Hunters’ Chase on Trust Fund and competed in both the 2005 and 2007 running of the Randox Grand National.
Thomas’s professional career is within the hospitality industry. He is currently chief executive of the UK’s largest independent hotel management group, Bespoke Hotels. He also has various Non-Executive Directorships which include the Pony Racing Authority and Randalls Jersey, the largest pub company on the island.
Nick Luck
Nick Luck, 46, is a broadcaster and writer who has been at the forefront of network television presentation of the sport’s biggest events around the world for over 20 years. Formerly the frontman for Channel 4 Racing (including several Grand Nationals) he is currently a host/reporter for NBC Sports, encompassing the US Triple Crown, Breeders’ Cup and Royal Ascot, as well as Racing TV, for whom his talk show, Luck on Sunday, is now in its seventh season. His International work extends to Hong Kong, Melbourne, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Dubai.
An Aintree Director since 2017, he is also a Trustee of the Horse Racing Museum, a member of the TBA NH committee, and the Racing Welfare Fundraising committee. Nick's daily podcast is the world's most listened to racing podcast, while he has been voted HWPA Racing Broadcaster of the Year nine times.