Greg Nichols, General Manager of Racing Victoria and the man responsible for the past three years for the ever increasing popularity of the Melbourne Cup, has been appointed Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Board.

Greg Nichols, 43, who was headhunted by the firm of Egon Zehnder International, was Chief Executive of the South Australian Thoroughbred Racing Authority and South Australian Jockey Club before moving to Melbourne Victoria in 1999. He has been involved in racing administration since 1987.

Peter Savill, Chairman of BHB, said: “I have known Greg for a couple of years now and have been impressed not only by his love of British Racing but the immediate rapport and enthusiasm he engenders in all those around him. He is already well known to many owners and trainers in Great Britain and I am sure he has the management and people skills to bring out the best in the new BHB executive team.”

Greg Nichols said: “I am tremendously excited by the enormous challenges that face British Racing over the next few years and shall do my best to make a major contribution to the changes which are already well under way. I am greatly looking forward to working with the BHB Board and the whole of the BHB team and am confident that my experiences in Australian racing will prove invaluable in my new role.”

The appointment of Greg Nichols almost completes the Executive restructure announced less than three weeks ago with just the Marketing Director to be appointed.

Savill said: “We are currently looking for a Marketing Director but no appointment will be made until Greg has joined us and is able to participate in the process.”

Chris Reynolds, whose role as Managing Director is being phased out, came in for special thanks from the Chairman. “I would like to thank Chris for the contribution he has made in the past eighteen months at one of the most difficult times in BHB’s short history. He has worked tirelessly to implement BHB’s strategy but decided not to put himself forward for either the Chief Executive or Managing Director Commercial position, neither of which encompassed the role and responsibilities for which he was originally hired. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Photographs of Greg Nichols are available in electronic format from BHB Press Officer Richard Hayler on 020 7343 3335 or [email protected]