Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) and Aushorse have engaged leading recruitment firm u&u to help find their new chief executive, after incumbent Tom Reilly was appointed to run the Melbourne Racing Club.
The firm, which was founded by racehorse owner Craig Sneesby, has significant experience in the thoroughbred industry having recently run the processes to find the CEOs of the Brisbane Racing Club, the Victoria Racing Club and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.
Aushorse chairman Antony Thompson thanked Mr Reilly for his service and said he was confident the role would attract a strong field of candidates.
“Myself and all the board of Aushorse are very grateful for Tom’s hard work in the past 10 years, he and the team have done a great job for the industry,” said Thompson. “The strategy Tom put in place and delivered through projects like the annual Investor’s Guide have created a strong narrative that Australia is the best place to buy and race a horse.
“Both Aushorse and TBA are in a very strong position as a result of Tom’s work and this role will give somebody the opportunity to come in and build on that legacy. This is an exciting opportunity for anybody who is keen to make their mark in the thoroughbred industry.”
TBA chairman Basil Nolan also thanked Mr Reilly for helping the industry through so many challenges.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have Tom leading TBA for so long. I don’t think anyone has worked harder in the past decade for the benefit of the industry: whether it was ensuring breeding continued in COVID, starting our education programs like Fast Track and TBA Learning, through to providing the strongest representation for breeders with politicians and racing administrators. A lot of that work might not be seen by all, but the difference in the standing of TBA and Aushorse from when he started to now couldn’t be bigger.
“On behalf of the TBA board and all breeders I’d like to acknowledge his hard work and dedication and wish him and his family well for their move to Melbourne. He leaves some big shoes to fill but we are looking forward to finding someone to take TBA on and work with the great team that are in place.”
Details of the role can be found at uandu.com and people interested in learning more can speak to James Lazarus (0400 929 629) or Craig Sneesby (0417 007 105) from u&u
