BHA Appoints Alan Switzer as Chief Financial Officer

Alan Switzer has been named chief financial officer for the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). He joins the executive team after having been with the BHA for several years and having held the role of interim CFO since August 2024.

During that time he has overseen “a comprehensive review of the organisation's structure and operational functions, and more recently supporting the delivery of British racing's industry strategy”.

Switzer worked for Deloitte for over 25 years as part of the company's Sports Business Group and during the Covid pandemic was seconded to Sport England, where he helped establish and manage the British government's Sports Survival Fund.

He said, “I'm delighted to be appointed to the Chief Financial Officer role. I have worked with the BHA and British racing throughout my career, and have huge admiration for the knowledge, experience and passion that exists across the organisation and wider racing industry.

“British racing's financial challenges are well documented, with the sport facing significant headwinds and not always best served by the fragmented and complex nature of our funding model.

“But these problems are far from insurmountable, especially if we can commit to working collectively in the long-term interests of the sport. As someone who wants to see racing not only survive, but thrive, I look forward to playing my part to support the sport we all love.”

Julie Harrington, outgoing BHA chief executive, added, “[Alan] is widely respected and brings a wealth of commercial experience from across racing and the sporting sector more generally. His ability to build strong relationships, coupled with a proven track record of success, will continue to be a significant asset.

“Not only will Alan seek to ensure that the BHA remains on a sound financial footing so that it can continue to provide good value and high-quality services for participants, but he will also lead cross-industry efforts to look at our income and funding models and how we can make better use of resources. This will be crucial as we work to secure a more sustainable financial future for British racing.”