Directors

David Thorpe

Chairman

David is an experienced chairman with a track record of growth and profitable performance, with extensive Board-level experience in general management, consulting, operations and sales and marketing. In 2009 David completed a hugely successful 5-year term as Chairman of the Racecourse Association, the trade association for 59 UK racecourses. He was appointed to the role of Chairman of Arena Leisure in May 2010.

Mark Elliott

Chief Executive

Mark was appointed Chief Executive in October 2005. He is a respected Executive Director in the quoted company leisure sector and was formerly Finance Director and then Chief Executive of Wembley plc. Mark trained as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young. Mark is on the board of the Racecourse Association, the trade body of the UK racecourse industry.

Ian Renton

Racing Director

Ian has held the position of Racing Director since he joined Arena in 2001. He has extensive racing experience including Manager and Clerk of the Course at Salisbury, Wincanton and Aintree. A respected figure throughout racing, Ian sits on the board of directors of the British Horseracing Authority, which assumed responsibility for the regulation and governance of UK horseracing in 2007, and also sits on various BHA industry advisory groups.

Tony Harris

Finance Director

Tony was appointed Finance Director of Arena in May 2008. He was formerly Chief Financial Officer of The UNITE Group Plc and, prior to that, Vice President Finance (Europe & Africa, and Nordic regions) at Hilton International, where he was responsible for 230 hotels operating across 35 countries. Tony qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen and then spent 13 years working in the hotel industry, first with Inter-Continental Hotels Group and then with Hilton International.

Brigadier Andrew H Parker Bowles OBE

Non-Executive Director

Andrew joined Arena in September 1999 and has extensive experience and interests in the racing industry. He was a Director of the British Horseracing Board from 1997 to 2000, a member of the Jockey Club since 1982 and for four years was the Jockey Club Steward responsible for all 59 racecourses. An owner, rider and breeder of racehorses, he was a Director of United Racecourses from 1995 to 1999 and a director of R.A.M. Racing Leisure Ltd from 1996 to 1999. Andrew is a Non-Executive Director of two other companies and a Trustee or Governor of eight charities.

Andrew Page

Non-Executive Director

Andrew is Chief Executive Officer, and formerly Finance Director, of The Restaurant Group plc ('TRG'), a listed company operating around 350 restaurants and pub restaurants, primarily in leisure locations and airports, in the United Kingdom. Prior to joining TRG, Andrew held a number of senior positions in the leisure and hospitality sector including Senior Vice President of InterContinental Hotels Group and Group Finance Director of Hanover International plc. Prior to that, he spent six years with Kleinwort Benson's Corporate Finance Department. Andrew trained as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG.

Company Secretary

Bob Mercer

Bob is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants with 12 years' experience working within the racing industry. Bob joined Arena in 1999, initially as Group Financial Controller following the acquisition of Wolverhampton and Southwell Racecourses, and has held the roles of Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary since May 2001. Prior to working in the racing industry, Bob held a variety of senior roles in the textile and distribution industries.