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Can Jim Mullen steady the ship? New Jockey Club boss faces declining profits, falling crowds and hard choices
Lee Mottershead looks at the challenges set to face Jim Mullen, the Jockey Club's new group chief executive
As the Jockey Club's group chief executive, Jim Mullen will be at Aintree on April 11 next year to attend a world-renowned event he has never yet witnessed in person. Ironically, that would have changed earlier this year had it not been for Mullen being handed responsibility for the Grand National and much else besides.
Back in the autumn, when the one-time bookmaking heavyweight was still running Reach plc, the UK's largest commercial news publisher, Mullen was chatting over a drink with friend and former colleague Mike Dillon and happened to mention in passing that he had never been to the Grand National. Dillon quietly noted the remark and then contacted Aintree, as a result of which Mullen and his wife, Lesley, received an invitation from the racecourse chairman.
Then, on the Monday of Randox Grand National week, the Jockey Club revealed Mullen would be changing his job. Mullen also immediately changed his plans for the coming weekend.
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