The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has appointed Alan Switzer to the position of Chief Financial Officer.
Alan will be part of the BHA Executive team, responsible for managing the organisation’s financial operations and providing expert advice to the Board, Executive team and Audit Committee.
He will also work closely with racing’s key stakeholders on an industry-wide approach to the sport’s long-term financial sustainability, which will include evaluating existing funding models, establishing areas for greater collaboration and identifying opportunities for future growth.
Alan has worked with the BHA for several years, overseeing a comprehensive review of the organisation’s structure and operational functions, and more recently supporting the delivery of British racing’s industry strategy. He has held the role of interim CFO since August 2024.
With a strong background in sports governance, business and finance, Alan worked for Deloitte for over 25 years, the majority of which was spent as a member of the senior leadership team in the company’s Sports Business Group.
A keen horseracing fan and racing club member, Alan worked extensively with the British racing industry through his role with Deloitte, leading more than 50 horseracing and sports betting projects, including economic impact assessments, financial analysis of the fixture list, commercial due diligence and international benchmarking.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alan was seconded to Sport England, where he helped establish and manage the UK Government’s Sports Survival Fund, which distributed over £300m to provide critical financial support to professional sports, including British racing.
He also has broad experience of advising other sports on the structuring and marketing of their competitions and commercial models, as well as helping them secure new strategic partnerships.
Commenting on his appointment, Alan Switzer said:
“I’m delighted to be appointed to the Chief Financial Officer role. I have worked with the BHA and British racing throughout my career, and have huge admiration for the knowledge, experience and passion that exists across the organisation and wider racing industry.
“British racing’s financial challenges are well documented, with the sport facing significant headwinds and not always best served by the fragmented and complex nature of our funding model.
“But these problems are far from insurmountable, especially if we can commit to working collectively in the long-term interests of the sport. As someone who wants to see racing not only survive, but thrive, I look forward to playing my part to support the sport we all love.”
BHA Chief Executive, Julie Harrington, said:
“Alan has worked closely with the BHA Board, Executive and senior leaders from across the industry over several years – and has been immersed in the funding, governance, structures and operating models of British racing for almost the entirety of his career.
“He is widely respected and brings a wealth of commercial experience from across racing and the sporting sector more generally. His ability to build strong relationships, coupled with a proven track record of success, will continue to be a significant asset.
“Not only will Alan seek to ensure that the BHA remains on a sound financial footing so that it can continue to provide good value and high-quality services for participants, but he will also lead cross-industry efforts to look at our income and funding models and how we can make better use of resources. This will be crucial as we work to secure a more sustainable financial future for British racing.”
