Cliodhna Guy to serve as interim CEO as IHRB begins search for Egan successor

An interim leader is to take over from Denis Egan at the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board while a successor is sought with head of licensing, legal and compliance, Cliodhna Guy, stepping up as chief executive in October.

On Friday the IHRB invited applications for the position of chief executive through the Mazars organisation, with Egan announcing last month that he will step down on September 30 – a move he says is related to an early retirement scheme.

Guy, who also serves as a company secretary of the IHRB, first joined the organisation while in its previous guise as the Turf Club in February 2017 and is a qualified solicitor with experience in a variety of sports.

She previously served as legal manager for the Football Association of Ireland and legal director for the International Boxing Association, while she also holds a masters in sports law from De Montfort University in Leicester.

An IHRB statement on Friday said the "national and international recruitment campaign" invites potential candidates to view the Mazars website and search reference HRB0121 for further information and to apply for the role, with the closing date for applications at 12pm on September 27.

Denis Egan: set to take early retirement from IHRB position at end of SeptemberCredit: Patrick McCann

IHRB chairman Harry McCalmont said: "Following Mr Egan's announcement that he would be retiring in September, the board of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board have worked towards putting a process in place for the appointment of a new permanent CEO for the organisation.

"We would once again like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Egan for his tireless and unwavering commitment and service to the Turf Club and the IHRB during a tenure which has witnessed many changes within the organisation. We wish Mr Egan and his family the very best in the future."

He added: "Cliodhna Guy will step into the role on an interim basis while the process of appointing a new CEO takes place. Ms Guy's experience within the IHRB will allow for a smooth transition period until a permanent appointment has been made."

Egan has spent 26 years working for the sport's governing body in Ireland, roughly 20 of which have been in his role as the chief executive.

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