Perth Racing has elected its first female chair with Carol Adams replacing Colin Brown, who has stepped down from the role after six years.
Adams, who has been on the Board since 2022. was a unanimous choice for the chair role from her fellow board members with Rob Bransby elected Vice Chair.
The appointment follows on from Wednesday’s AGM where three director positions were filled. Peter Scott was re-elected to serve a second term, while Derrice Dillon and Jo Daviies were elected to the Board for the first time.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have had the unanimous support of the Board to be elected as the first female Chair in the Club’s long and illustrious history,” Adams said.
“I would like to acknowledge the hard work and passion for the Club shown by our immediate past Chair, Colin Brown, who stepped down at the Club’s AGM after six years at the helm.
“I have been fortunate to have worked closely with Colin and Club CEO, James Oldring, in my role as Vice Chair for the past 12 months and it has certainly placed me in good stead going forward.”
Perth Racing is undertaking or planning two key infrastructure projects, the Ascot master plan and the redevelopment of Belmont Park, which include plans for development of the racecourse infield.
At the AGM, the Club confirmed a loss of $388.000 for the financial year 2023/24. That came after a profit of $540,000 in FY23.
The Club identified additional investment in the two major infrastructure projects, the loss of some meetings to extreme weather during the hot summer and double digit percentage increases in utilities and insurance costs year on year as contributing to the loss.
“I am under no illusions as to the enormous task ahead for Perth Racing, especially in relation to the huge capital infrastructure projects that the Board has been working towards over the past two years, but I am confident we have the depth of skills and corporate experience on the Board, in conjunction with the enthusiastic CEO and Executive team, to take the Club forwards,” Adams said.
Long-serving directors Brown, Paula Sullivan and Chris Wharton stepped down.
“First and foremost, I wish to thank the Members for allowing me the privilege of Chairing the Board of this wonderful Club,” Brown said.
“The journey hasn’t been without its challenges but, as a Club, we have met those challenges and grown through the experience. We have developed the resilience, professionalism and adaptation required to meet the headwinds of the future.”
