Former advanced rider and event horse owner Mark Sartori has been appointed chair of the British Eventing (BE) board, succeeding interim chair Jane Holderness-Roddam.
Announcing the news, BE said Mr Sartori brings a “wealth of experience to the role following a successful career in investment banking and capital markets”.
He is a trustee of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, for which he also chairs the investment committee, coaches senior executives, advises boards on governance and regulation and has varied investments.
“Alongside the depth of business expertise that Mark brings to British Eventing he also has a deep-seated understanding of the sport, having competed up to advanced level himself as well as being a trustee for the British Eventing Support Trust,” a BE spokesman said.
“As an owner, Mark has a number of five-star riders based at his farm in Surrey and also co-owns the current British open champion Monkeying Around with Izzy Taylor.”
Mr Sartori said he was “delighted” to take on the role, thanking Jane for her work.
“With us currently being Olympic, world and European champions, the sport has much to celebrate,” he said.
“However, there are some very significant challenges facing the sport and I will be working hard with all the stakeholders to move our sport forward. We need to improve our product, make it more affordable and grow our membership whilst offering more opportunities for people to try eventing. We need strong leadership from the board and the executive team as we face some real challenges in the short and the long term.
“I am very much looking forward to working with the board, [CEO] Helen West and her team, the riders, owners, organisers, volunteers and everyone who is a part of our wonderful sport. We need to agree the way forward and work together to ensure that British Eventing retains its place as a world leader. We have big plans for the sport and the next few years will be very exciting for everyone involved.”
Ms West said the sport and BE are lucky to have Mark Sartori.
“I speak not only on behalf of myself but also the entire board when I say I can’t thank Mark enough for wanting to step in and assist us in the role of chair,” she said.
“I am excited about the future of the sport with him at our helm. The new season is ahead of us, entries have just opened and by the rate of take-up we are seeing in membership over the past few weeks, it is clearly evident that we have a thriving community wishing to compete with us. The future is definitely bright for British Eventing with prestigious championships for all level of competitor and I am looking forward to us rebuilding the sport into the progressive and modern one that we all know it can and will be.”
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