The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has appointed Anthony Ingham as its executive director for strategic marketing and branding, effective 1 January 2021.
In the role, Ingham will lead the development of the club’s membership strategy with the aim of enhancing and creating membership experiences for the club’s 30,000 members.
He will also lead the development and implementation of strategic marketing plans, and be responsible for articulating the club’s brand and strengthening the communication of the club’s business model and contribution to the community, HKJC said.
Ingham will report directly to the operator’s chief executive, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.
He brings in-depth experience in brand transformation, strategic marketing and customer experience development, HKJC said. Ingham has led brand strategy, marketing and guest experience for Marriott International, and was appointed global head of the luxury W Hotels brand in 2015. In 2018, he took on additional responsibility for The Luxury Collection Hotels and Resorts, and previously spent ten years with InterContinental Hotels Group.
HKJC has also announced the retirement of Scarlette Leung, executive director of corporate planning, branding, and membership, who will leave the organisation on 1 January 2021 after twenty years with the operator.
In September, the operator reported declines in revenue and turnover for its 2019-20 fiscal year, although it hailed the business’s resilience after it managed to avoid race cancellations throughout the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Amounts wagered fell 11.6% year-on-year to HK$218.75bn (£21.13bn/€23.54bn/$28.22bn), of which $195.47bn was staked by Hong Kong residents across all channels. Commingling agreements with international partners contributed the remaining $23.28bn, up 23.1%.
