Former Ladbrokes Coral CEO Jim Mullen to take over as Jockey Club group chief executive in June

Jim Mullen, the former boss of Ladbrokes Coral, was on Monday handed the job of turning round the Jockey Club's fortunes as its next permanent chief executive.

British racing's largest employer and commercial organisation has been buffeted by economic headwinds in recent years, with falling profits blamed on the impact of inflation, stricter gambling regulation squeezing income from gambling. and falling attendances, especially at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mullen will join the Jockey Club in June from Reach plc, the largest commercial news publisher in the UK and Ireland, where he has been chief executive since 2019.

He will succeed interim group chief executive Charlie Boss, who has been in the post since December 2024 following Nevin Truesdale’s decision to step down at the end of last year after four and a half years in the role and 11 years at the organisation. The appointment of Boss was made following a last-minute hitch finding a permanent successor to Truesdale.

• Comment: Straight talker Jim Mullen will have to deliver home truths in new job at the Jockey Club  

Mullen said: "While the Jockey Club will be known to many as one of the most prestigious and established organisations in British sport, it is also a forward-thinking and exciting business with its focus firmly on the future. 

"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 had previously built up huge experience in the betting industry. He joined William Hill Online in 2010 and from there moved to Ladbrokes in 2013 to head the firm's digital operation. 

Two years later Mullen took over as chief executive from Richard Glynn and found himself immediately in the midst of merger talks with Coral. He remained chief executive of Ladbrokes Coral until March 2018.

Mullen has spent the last six years at Reach, which runs more than 120 publishing brands including the Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Record and Daily Star. He has also been a non-executive board member of Racecourse Media Group, the umbrella organisation responsible for media rights involving 61 racecourses in Britain and Ireland, since 2019.

Mullen added: "Publishing and horseracing might appear to be two very different industries on the surface. However, they share a focus on providing value and quality for the customer while nurturing happy and motivated teams across multiple sites, and I am passionate about delivering both. 

"I would like to thank all my colleagues at Reach for their hard work and all that has been achieved together over the past six years. I now look forward to forging new relationships in horseracing and renewing others developed during my time in the gambling industry.”

Baroness Harding: "Jim will bring with him a wealth of experience and expertise"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The Jockey Club’s senior steward Baroness Dido Harding said she was delighted to welcome Mullen as chief executive.

She said: "Jim 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. 

"He will bring with him a wealth of experience and expertise, while also being a racing fan at heart who is passionate about promoting the sport and the incredible experiences we are able to offer our customers."

The appointment was also welcomed by Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) chief executive Grainne Hurst, a former colleague of Mullen's.

She said: "On behalf of everyone at the BGC, and our members, I want to extend huge congratulations to Jim Mullen on his new post with the Jockey Club. 

"Betting and racing enjoy a truly symbiotic relationship, and it’s fantastic to have a new leader in racing who understands the realities facing our members right now. Having worked with Jim at Ladbrokes previously, I know him to be a strategic, pragmatic and authentic leader, and I look forward to working with him again in this new role."

Boss will continue as interim chief executive until Mullen takes up his new post, and will remain at the Jockey Club, which runs 15 of Britain's racecourses, until July to support and ensure a smooth transition.

He said: “Jim has all of the skills and experience that the Jockey Club needs to realise its full potential, and I can’t think of a better person to hand the baton over to this summer."

Reach said Mullen would be available to them "for a short handover period".

His time at Reach has been marked by cost-cutting measures and clashes with staff over job losses and pay.

Reach chairman Nick Prettejohn thanked Mullen for his contribution, adding: "We and Jim agree that it is an appropriate time, following a strong full-year performance, for him to step down and for the company to take new leadership."

Jim Mullen CV

Full name: James Joseph Mullen
Born: Glasgow
Age: 54
Education: Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Westminster, Harvard Business School
Career
Chief executive of Reach plc August 2019 to present
Non-executive director of Racecourse Media Group June 2019 to present
Group chief executive of Ladbrokes Coral Group plc March 2015 to March 2018
Chief operating officer and international director at William Hill October 2010 to October 2013
Director of digital strategy and director of product management at News International December 2006 to October 2010

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