Charlie Liverton appointed ROA chief executive

Charlie Liverton has been appointed as chief executive of the Racehorse Owners Association and will take up the position in January.

He will join the ROA from his position as racing manager to Robin Geffen at Neptune Investment Management, with a background in racing which includes spells as pupil assistant trainer to the late Major Dick Hern and Richard Hannon snr in the 1990s amongst other roles.

ROA president Rachel Hood said: "After an exhaustive recruitment process, I am extremely pleased that Charlie Liverton has agreed to become the Association's new chief executive.

"He has already made a telling contribution to the ROA as a council member over the past 16 months, including as part of our Raceday Committee which works to improve the raceday experience for owners.

"He is passionate about the sport and, drawing on both his personal and professional experiences, has first-hand understanding of racehorse ownership at various levels and the many associated issues."

Liverton added: "It is an enormous privilege to be asked to become chief executive of the ROA and represent the largest contributors to the funding of British Racing.

"Owners are the lifeblood of our sport and we need to make sure that they are properly valued and fairly treated. Although there have been improvements in a number of areas, ownership numbers remain in decline and racing has to do more to recruit and retain owners.

"The ROA now has more than 7,300 members and, as we move forward as an industry encouraging greater participation in racehorse ownership especially among younger people, I will be aiming to grow that number still further and enhance the many benefits that owners derive from ROA membership."

Liverton replaces Richard Wayman, who leaves the ROA in December 2015 to become chief operating officer at the British Horseracing Authority.