The Racing Integrity Board Chair Neville Harris announced the appointment of Dr Eliot Forbes to the position of Chief Executive.
Dr Forbes, a qualified veterinarian, is an accomplished racing executive with over 25 years of racing administration and wagering experience across Australia, Asia, and the Middle East.
He previously served as the Veterinary Steward for the Emirates Racing Authority, overseeing the welfare and equine integrity arrangements for six Dubai World Cups. Returning to Australia in 2010, he was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer and then Chief Executive Officer of Tasracing, the principal racing authority in Tasmania. He moved on to the Chief Executive Officer role for Racing Queensland in 2016 and delivered signification financial turnarounds for both state racing authorities.
Dr. Forbes has served on the Boards of Racing Australia (RA) and Greyhounds Australasia; and Chaired RA’s Retirement of Racehorses Committee.  He was also a member of the national Veterinary and Analyst committees for each of the three codes of Australian racing and a member of Harness Racing Australia’s Standardbred Welfare Advisory Group.
He has also successfully launched agricultural start-up AniMark Ltd, a standards company specialising in the formulation and monitoring of animal welfare standards and livestock traceability. More recently he has been Chief Executive of RACELAB Pty Ltd, which provides software and data products to wagering operators worldwide.
Dr. Forbes has been a Steering Committee member of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) since 2016 and also chairs the IFAR Conference Committee. He has previously served on the Executive Council of the International Group of Specialist Racing Veterinarians and is a regular speaker on equine aftercare, traceability, and welfare around the world.
He holds an honours degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Business Administration from La Trobe University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr. Forbes will commence with the Racing Integrity Board on 29 April 2024 and be based in Wellington.