Highly respected sports and racing administrator Richard Goodbody will become the new Chief Executive Officer of Harness Racing Australia.
Goodbody, 43, will next month replace Andrew Kelly, who has been CEO of HRA for the past 17 years, at a crucial time in one of the industry’s most important roles.
HRA chairman Graeme Campbell OAM said he and the HRA board were pleased to bring in someone with Goodbody’s broad experience, credentials and enthusiasm.
“Richard was chosen from an extremely high quality list of candidates. He fully understands the challenges of the sector and has experience in marketing, communications and government relations, which positions him well,” he said.
“He has a history of strong engagement and communication skills with stakeholders in the racing industry, which will be a tremendous asset.”
Goodbody, who started his career as a journalist at the Shepparton News, has held senior roles at Racing Queensland for the past seven years, most recently as Executive General Manager Customer and Corporate Affairs.
Crucially, he brings extensive outside experience to racing through stints in key roles as General Manager at Townsville Fire (basketball), where he was named a finalist for Queensland Sports Administrator of the Year, along with communications and marketing roles at Cricket Australia and Bowls Australia.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the incredible competitors involved in the sport,” said Goodbody.
“It is an exciting but equally challenging time to take over the leadership at HRA following Andrew’s long tenure in this role.
“As part of my discussions with the Executive, I expressed my desire for HRA to focus on stakeholders while encouraging participation and advocacy at all levels of government.”
Goodbody’s passion for racing is reflected in the desire to ‘sell’ the industry’s good stories and bring them to a wider audience.
“We have a great story to tell, especially when it comes to grassroots and animal welfare, and part of my job is to bring new eyes and fresh ideas to do that more often,” he said.
“Everest last Saturday is the perfect example of being big and bold and just as willing to do things differently to appeal to new audiences, but it is not an isolated event for the Thoroughbreds.
“We’ve seen that work with the TAB Eureka and I’m sure we’ll continue to see more of that during the Summer of Glory or the Nullarbor or the Ultimate Drivers Series.
“There is a lot we can be proud of and I look forward to starting and getting into the new role.”
Goodbody will take on the role at a time when there is intense debate about the National Ratings System, Stallion Levy and the future of the TAB Eureka.
Through Adam Hamiltonfor Harness Racing Australia
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