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End of an era on TRSA board

South Australia’s thoroughbred racing industry will continue to benefit from the guidance of Frances Nelson QC and David Rasheed following the appointment of Rob Rorrison as the new Chair of Thoroughbred Racing SA (TRSA).

Ms Nelson and David Rasheed have both stood down as Chair and Deputy Chair in line with the TRSA constitution requirements but have agreed to stay on the Board for another six months to ensure a seamless handover to Mr Rorrison and incoming Deputy Chair Brett Dixon.

Mr Rorrison paid tribute to Ms Nelson and Mr Rasheed for their longstanding commitment to racing in South Australia.

“No one has been a more powerful advocate nor a stronger supporter of South Australian racing than Frances Nelson,” he said.

“She has given tirelessly to the sport and community she loves and has continually ensured that governments and other key stakeholders are aware of the size and scale of the racing industry in this State and its importance to the South Australian economy.

“She leaves a legacy of growth and achievement. TRSA and the entire racing community have benefited immensely from Frances’ leadership, knowledge, passion and dedication, and I know I speak for everyone when I thank her for her years of service.

“David Rasheed has been critical in many of the key decisions that have benefited South Australian racing over the past 13 years. His role as Chair of the Finance Committee along with his advocacy in our ongoing negotiations around the Point of Consumption tax cannot be underestimated.”

Ms Nelson has served on the TRSA Board of Directors since 2007 and as Chair since 2011, while Mr Rasheed has also provided the same period of service to the Board, the last two of those as Deputy Chair.

“It is a credit to both Frances and David that they have agreed to continue on the Board for an additional six months but not a surprise given their unerring desire to see our industry prosper,” said Mr Rorrison.

“It is further testament to their passion for the industry that they have agreed to play significant roles over the next six months.

Frances will continue her role as TRSA’s representative on the Racing Australia Board while David, whose knowledge and history around the financial position and dealings of TRSA is invaluable, will continue as Chair of the Finance Committee.”

With Ms Nelson and Mr Rasheed staying on for the next six months, the Board of TRSA will be expanded to nine directors from its usual seven following the appointment of three new directors in Stephen Watts, Timothy Stokes and Matt Lloyde.

The Board also noted its thanks to Julie Ryan who, because of new work commitments, could not continue with what has been a valuable contribution as a Director since 2018.

New Chair and Deputy Chair

Rob Rorrison brings extensive business and leadership acumen to the role of Chair.

Following a long career with Macquarie Group in Australia and Asia he currently works as a Senior Adviser at Taylor Collison. He has served on the Board of a number of companies in Australia, North America and Asia and is currently Executive Chairman of Climate Capital, and a Non-executive Director of Hong Kong based Baiyin International Investments

Brett Dixon has served on the board of the Darwin Turf Club since 2002 and was elected as its Chairman in 2008 following three years as Vice Chairman.

The director of several successful companies, Mr Dixon has a long-standing passion for growing thoroughbred racing and 15 years’ experience in breeding horses.

New Directors

Stephen Watts is an experienced accountant and Partner at Tilbrook Rasheed where he provides expert services in areas including management, strategic planning, taxation and equity funding advice.

He is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia. He is currently a part-owner of 10 racehorses and was a previous owner of the legendary Rebel Raider.

As National Manager of Sales, Marketing and Innovation for the division responsible for the Lysaght and Fielders brands at BlueScope Steel, Matt Lloyde brings significant experience in delivering on business strategic projects.

He has served on the boards of numerous high-performance sporting organisations including Netball South Australia and the World Tennis Challenge Tournament.

A director with Deloitte’s Legal and Tax practice, Timothy Stokes works with some of Australia’s largest and most complex companies, family groups and not-for-profit organisations to help them navigate the full spectrum of their tax affairs.

He holds a Masters of Law (Taxation) from the University of Melbourne and has significant industry experience, having provided advice to both Racing Victoria and Harness NSW around the structure of their broadcasting and wagering activities.

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