TATTERSALLS Ireland has appointed Matt Mitchell as its chief executive officer. Mitchell began his new role on Tuesday and will also be joining the Tattersalls board in Newmarket.

The Tipperary native has been a non-executive director of the Fairyhouse-based sales company since the purchase of the Cheltenham and Ascot Sales from Brightwells in October 2015.

Mitchell joined Irish Thoroughbred Marketing as general manager in 1992, establishing it as a world leader before becoming managing director of Goffs Bloodstock Sales in 2000.

Having presided over a period of consistent growth at the Kill-based auctioneers, Mitchell then joined the thoroughbred division of Brightwells as head of bloodstock, establishing sales at Cheltenham as the premier niche thoroughbred sales in Europe, while also developing existing and new sales at Ascot.

When Tattersalls acquired Cheltenham and Ascot Sales in 2015 Mitchell joined the board of Tattersalls Ireland.

In the resulting shake-up at Tattersalls, Neil Walsh, currently director of bloodstock sales at Tattersalls Ireland, will become a non-executive director as he takes on the management of his family farm in Co Kilkenny, while Roger Casey, who has overseen the expansion of Tattersalls Ireland from eight Irish-based sales in 2011 to 23 sales across three venues in 2018, will continue in his original role of finance director and company secretary.

PRIVILEGE

Mitchell said: “The Tattersalls group sets the standard for bloodstock auctioneers throughout the world and it is an enormous privilege to be taking on the role of Tattersalls Ireland CEO and to be joining the Tattersalls board.

“It has been a pleasure to have been a part of this dedicated team for the past three years and I look forward with optimism to working with them all in my new position.”