Alan Byrne steps down as Racing Post chief executive and editor-in-chief

Alan Byrne has stepped down as chief executive of Spotlight Sports Group (SSG), parent company of the Racing Post, after an aggregate 25 years with the business.

He is to be succeeded with immediate effect by Mark Renshaw, formerly chief operations officer, who himself has been with the group for 14 years.

Byrne spent three spells with the Racing Post, including editing the newspaper from November 1993 to January 2002 during which time he supervised the merger of the newspaper with The Sporting Life in 1998.

He returned as chief executive and editor-in-chief in October 2007 after the paper's sale to Dublin-based private equity investment firm FL Partners by Trinity Mirror.

Byrne, 60, will remain as a director of the business, and will also assume a new advisory role. He said: "The Racing Post and its readers have been fortunate in recent years to be served by two outstanding editors in Bruce Millington and Tom Kerr.

"I would like to thank them and the entire editorial team for their fantastic contribution to the business. Day in and day out, the quality of the analysis, insight, opinion and the overall editorial package they produce to serve racing devotees and professionals alike are testament to the commitment and the skills of all of those involved."

Byrne added: "It is a delight to see Mark appointed. He has been at the heart of most of the best things SSG has achieved in recent years and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him. I know Mark has all of the skills required to lead the excellent SSG team and will continue to drive the growth of the company in the UK, North America and beyond."

The Racing Post's editor Tom Kerr described Byrne as "an outstanding chief executive and editor-in-chief" of the newspaper.

Kerr said: "He has provided exemplary leadership with an unflagging focus on rigorous journalism and providing the best possible service to our readers, creating a terrific legacy I and the rest of the team here will do our utmost to maintain and build on."

Renshaw said that SSG had "the greatest team we’ve ever had" – working on brands such as the Racing Post in the UK and Ireland and Pickswise in North America, as well as the group's B2B division.

He added: "Alan, I and our management team have spent the last few months crystallising exactly where we can accelerate growth and find new areas of opportunity.

"We’re absolutely clear on where we want to take Spotlight Sports Group and I am tremendously excited about the path we’re on to grow our people and our business.

"My thanks go to Alan for all of his support during our time working together, and I am delighted he is allowing us to leverage his remarkable experience in his new capacity."

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