Our Board and Chief Executive
Board Chairperson – Neville Harris QSO
Neville Harris was appointed to the Board in October 2022. He was on the board of the Judicial Control Authority for Racing from 2008 to 2020 having previously been a racing judicial committee and appeals tribunal panel member from 1997-2008.
He is also on the board of Crown Regional Holdings Ltd. Neville’s governance experience includes 9 years as a trustee of Christchurch Stadium Trust and 3 years as a trustee of the Eden Park Trust Board of which he is a life member, and was on the board of Kiwifruit New Zealand.
He has a law degree and was awarded a QSO for services to the State in 2013. Neville has held occasional ownership interests in both equine codes.
Board member – Dr Patricia Pearce
Trish Pearce is a New Zealand-trained and widely published veterinarian with over 25 years’ experience working for government agencies. She is a current Establishment Board member.
Following roles leading animal welfare compliance, event and emergency mitigation and response at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (now MPI), Trish’s most recent focus has been specifically in equine health and welfare. Through her involvement with the New Zealand Equine Health Association, Trish has an excellent appreciation and understanding of the animal welfare issues and concerns in the horse racing industry, and equine welfare best practice.
Board member – Brent Williams
Brent was an Establishment Board member prior to his appoint to the Racing Integrity Board. He worked as a harness racing Stipendiary Steward for 20 years before taking up executive roles in the agri-export sector. Since 2014 he has been on the board of the Judicial Control Authority for Racing. He is currently a board member of the NZ Egg Producers Federation.
Brent’s understanding of the role and purpose of the racing integrity system, acquired at the functional and governance level, will be invaluable to the Racing Integrity Board’s role and strategic focus. Brent has for many years pursued breeding and occasional racing interests in the harness code.
Board member – Penny Mudford ONZM
Ms Penny Mudford is a company director, arbitrator and mediator with more than 20 years’ experience in dispute resolution in the primary industries sector. She is a Fellow of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand and currently sits on various dispute resolution panels and disciplinary committees.
Ms Mudford has held governance roles on the Veterinary Council of New Zealand, New Zealand Walking Access Commission, and Eastern and Central Community Trust. She is a former Chair of the Electrical Workers Registration Board and Rural Women New Zealand. She was Chair of the Racing Safety Development Fund Industry Working Group between 2013-2021.
In 2018 she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contributions to arbitration and the primary industry sector.
Board member – Aaron Lloyd
Aaron Lloyd was appointed to the Board in June 2024. Aaron is an experienced legal practitioner and one of New Zealand’s top sports law experts. He is internationally recognised for his work on sports integrity matters.
Aaron is currently the Judicial Chair of New Zealand Netball and Rugby League and was previously appointed by World Rugby to act as independent counsel for the Japan Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the France Rugby World Cup in 2023.
Chief Executive – Dr Eliot Forbes
Dr Forbes has over 30 years of veterinary, racing and wagering experience, spanning Australasia, the UK and the Middle East. He has held a variety of racing administration and commercial leadership roles, including CEO roles at Racing Queensland, Tasracing, RACELAB (an IT wagering service provider) and AniMark ( a standards company specialising in the formulation and monitoring of animal welfare standards and livestock traceability). As the Veterinary Steward for the Emirates Racing Authority in the UAE, he oversaw equine integrity arrangements for six Dubai World Cups.
From 2012 – 2018 Dr Forbes served on the Board of Racing Australia (RA), where he chaired the Retirement of Racehorses Committee and was a member of the Veterinary and Analyst Committees (VAC) for each of the three codes of Australian racing. Additionally, he served on the Executive Council of the International Group of Specialist Racing Veterinarians (2004 – 2010). He is a founding member of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) and currently chairs the IFAR Conference Committee.