Tim Husbands named new Leopardstown boss 29 November 2019 Free

Tim Husbands is the new chief executive of Leopardstown Racecourse. He will take up the position in mid-January.

A press release issued by Horse Racing Ireland on Friday morning stated: "Tim has a strong track record in the leisure and tourism industry and over the past 25 years, has played a significant role in the transformation of Belfast to a destination of choice for both leisure and business tourists.

"In various roles including Managing Director of Belfast’s Waterfront Hall and the Ulster Hall, Head of City Events and Venues at Belfast City Council, and most recently as Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, he has made a significant contribution to raising Belfast’s profile as a host city for major events of national and international standing.

"As Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, Tim was responsible for the launch of Northern Ireland’s biggest single capital investment in tourism and the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience, welcoming over three million visitors from over 145 countries.

"Tim also sits on the board of Fáilte Ireland and is an enthusiastic follower of most sports, including horse racing."

Husbands said: "I am delighted to accept the role as CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse and am really looking forward to working with the team there. Leopardstown is a racecourse which showcases the best of Irish racing, and hosts some of the most important racing events in the calendar.

“It is also a popular sports and leisure venue in a vibrant European capital city, and I am looking forward to bringing my experience in venue management to Leopardstown racecourse.

“The redevelopment of the site, which will be completed next year, will significantly improve Leopardstown as a racing facility and outgoing CEO, Pat Keogh deserves great credit for the job he has done there.

“I am also looking forward to connecting with those individuals and businesses which already support Leopardstown throughout the year, meeting prospective new partners and making a positive contribution to the Irish racing industry.”

Brian Kavanagh, CEO Horse Racing Ireland, said: "We are delighted to welcome Tim Husbands to Leopardstown. As CEO, he will bring an extremely high level of experience in event management and tourism to Leopardstown, and is a strong addition to the very innovative team at Leopardstown.

“Not surprisingly, when the role became vacant, it attracted a strong level of applicant both from inside and outside the horseracing industry, and we sincerely thank all of those who took part in the process.

“We look forward to an exciting future for Leopardstown which is completing a significant redevelopment, that will further improve the facilities for both racegoers and professionals alike.”