Prosser appointment leads TurfTrax development plan
Michael Prosser, who earlier this year announced his intention to step down from his role at Jockey Club Racecourses, is to join Cambridgeshire-based technology company, TurfTrax, as Head of Racing Services.
Prosser will join the sports surface management and data specialists on 27 November after more than 20 years with Jockey Club Racecourses where he is currently East Region Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Newmarket Racecourses.
He said, “I am delighted to be joining the TurfTrax team having worked closely with Managing Director, Mike Maher, on a number of projects including the testing and development of TurfTrax products at Newmarket and as co-consultants at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia.
“I am very familiar with the operation and recognise the company’s potential for growth both domestically and in the wider international sporting arena. It’s a very exciting prospect.”
TurfTrax has also taken steps to strengthen its international representation with the appointment of a Middle East-based Director of Technology to be announced early next month, and Hermione FitzGerald who will represent the company in Australasia.
FitzGerald, a company director and former professional golfer, has a wealth of international connections and currently represents a number of high-profile brands and organisations in the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.
Co-founder and former chairman Adam Mills has stepped down from the board at the age of 80 and will be replaced by his son Hugo Mills, a chartered accountant, who together with his wife Bernadette, owns and runs domiciliary care franchises along the South Coast of England.
Mike Maher said, “In welcoming four new members to the team I must pay tribute to outgoing board member and former Chairman, Adam Mills, whose vision and considerable financial backing has enabled us to create an international brand with global recognition, and technology that has helped horseracing maintain its position at the forefront of data-led innovation.
“With our strengthened board and the wide range of expertise that Michael, Hermione and our Director of Technology will bring, we are very well placed to take the business, its products and services to the next level of technical development and practical implementation.
“In recent years our core product, the TurfTrax GoingStick, has been adopted by horseracing and greyhound authorities in several jurisdictions around the world. The introduction of the latest generation Weather Station, TurfTrax cloud-based hub and the WeatherTrax Live service has created exciting new opportunities for the collection and distribution of robust and reliable integrated data.
“Our focus now will be on developing and realising these opportunities to continue to enhance safety and performance for participants and enrich the sporting experience for spectators.”