Ferris will officially take on the new role on 18 August, the Racecourse Media Group (RMG) confirmed yesterday (2 April). The RMG is the umbrella organisation responsible for media rights involving 61 racecourses across Britain and Ireland.
An experienced executive, Ferris has been serving as the CEO of Weatherbys since September 2019. Weatherbys provides a range of services to the horseracing industry, including playing a major role in breeding approval.
Before becoming CEO, Ferris also had a spell as chief executive of the Weatherbys General Stud Book, a breed registry for horses in Britain and Ireland. He also spent time as operations director.
Prior to Weatherbys, Ferris was a director for At The Race, a dedicated horseracing channel in the UK and Ireland. He also worked as the managing director of Limerick Racecourse in Ireland.
In addition, he was general manager at Scarvagh House Stud, an approved National Hunt stud farm.
Ferris keen to increase engagement
Ferris, who is also a non-executive director on the boards of Racing Digital and Venture Bio, outlined his vision for RMG. He said he is seeking to increase the appeal, reach and overall engagement of horseracing.
“I am delighted to be joining a great team at RMG and very much looking forward to the new challenge,” he said. “RMG plays a pivotal role within the industry both domestically and internationally. I am excited by the company’s vision to further enhance the sport’s appeal, reach and engagement to ensure a bright future for all.”
Nick Mills, who took over as CEO of RMG in November last year, welcomed the addition of Ferris. Mills backed the new managing director to take RMG to “new levels”
“Russell is highly regarded within the industry,” Mills said. “He’ll bring a wealth of expertise, experience and enthusiasm to RMG.
“Russell will oversee and further align the commercial and broadcast departments and help take the business to new levels in terms of innovation, engagement and revenues.”
Another change at the top on horseracing
The new appointment comes after another major horseracing organisation earlier this week also announced a change in leadership.
The Jockey Club named Jim Mullen, the former chief executive of Ladbrokes-Coral, as its new group CEO. Mullen is due to take on his new role in June, with Charlie Boss staying as interim CEO until then.
Mullen is currently CEO of commercial news publisher Reach. Prior to this, Mullen was group CEO of Ladbrokes-Coral between March 2015 and March 2018. This followed spells as chief operating officer and international director at William Hill.
