The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today announced that Paul Johnson has been appointed as Head of Racing Development.

Paul will join the BHA from the Racecourse Association (RCA), where he has worked as Racing Executive for the last two years. Prior to that he held positions at Procter and Gamble UK, and Ladbrokes as District Manager. He will finish at the RCA in March, joining BHA at the start of April, and his role will involve working with various stakeholders within the industry to develop fixture strategy, enhancing the use of Racing statistics, as well as researching and managing Racing-related projects.

Ruth Quinn, Director of Racing for the BHA, said:

“Paul’s is a great appointment for BHA. His calibre and experience made him stand out as an ideal candidate for the position. This new role will further enhance our capabilities for delivering the best outcomes for the sport in this vital area.”

Paul Johnson, speaking of his appointment, said:

“As someone with a love of Racing I’m very much looking forward to joining the team in BHA’s Racing Department and contributing to the great work that is done at the heart of the sport.

“I’ve had two very enjoyable years at the RCA and I’m obviously sad to be leaving colleagues here but the opportunity to work for the wider industry is a fantastic one and is something I’m very excited about.”

Stephen Atkin, Chief Executive of the RCA, added:

“Since Paul joined the RCA, he and I have worked with the BHA, and the Horsemen’s Group, to develop a closer partnership in the area of Fixtures and Race Planning, with significant improvements made in recent years. We are committed to continuing this partnership and look forward to working with him. We are naturally disappointed that Paul will be leaving us, but on behalf of our whole team, I wish him well.”